The Normandy Four 'Keep The Fiction Of Minsk Alive' - German Historian

What You Need To Know:

✅   Russian President Vladimir Putin recently traveled to Germany for the first time since the annexation of Crimea for the Normandy Four meeting;

✅  According to Jan Claas Behrends, a German historian, no deal was reached during the meetings, and there was no firm commitment from Russia. 'It was about keeping the fiction of Minsk alive.'

✅  Behrends: This meeting had 'less to do with Ukraine and much to do with Syria.'

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently traveled to Germany for the first time since the annexation of Crimea for the Normandy Four meeting. He met with French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to discuss the further implementation of the Minsk agreement. According to Jan Claas Behrends, a German historian, no deal was reached during the meetings, and there was no firm commitment from Russia. More than anything, “it was about keeping the fiction of Minsk alive,” he adds.

“Officially, Germany is very worried about what comes after Minsk,” says Behrends. He believes that Germany wants to keep the Minsk Agreement, as it is a diplomatic success for their country. Behrends also sees Minsk as problematic for Ukraine and does not think it will ever be implemented. “Berlin is very much interested at this point in the notion that Minsk is not dead,” as there is some sort of peace process going on.

Both Syrians and Ukrainians joined to protest the arrival of Russia’s president. Behrends concludes that this meeting had “less to do with Ukraine and much to do with Syria.”

Hromadske’s Nataliya Gumenyuk and Andriy Kulykov spoke to Jan Claas Behrends, German historian and author via Skype on October 23rd, 2016 in Kyiv.