Ukraine must implement the decisions of the December 2019 summit in Paris in order to achieve a noticeable improvement in the situation for residents of eastern Ukraine, the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Ukraine must fulfill its obligations, for example, with regard to the implementation of the so-called Steinmeier formula in Ukrainian legislation,” the message says on the occasion of the agreement reached a year ago in the Trilateral Contact Group on “additional measures to strengthen the ceasefire” in Donbass.
The diplomatic department recalled that exactly a year ago, the parties to the Trilateral Contact Group agreed on additional measures to strengthen the ceasefire in Donbass, which led to a “noticeable” reduction in hostilities in the region. According to the German Foreign Ministry, these steps were and remain an “encouraging” signal about the possibility of achieving peace if the decision-makers show the necessary political will.
“However, recently we have seen an intensification of hostilities and an increase in the number of casualties, including among the civilian population,” the department noted.
The procedure, regulated by the Steinmeier formula, presupposes a special procedure for self-government in the DPR and LPR before the elections, and after the OSCE assesses the independence of the vote, it will be established on a permanent basis.