First of all, Berlin urges Russia to “be more constructive” in resolving the conflict. In particular – open checkpoints of entry-exit (CPVV) in Donbass, which had been blocked by militants for several months, to clear the area and withdraw heavy weapons.
“Ukraine must also fulfill its obligations, such as the transfer of the so-called” Steinmeier formula “into Ukrainian legislation,” the German Foreign Ministry added.
It is emphasized that the special monitoring mission (SMM) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) should gain full access to the entire conflict zone in Donbas to control ceasefire.
In turn, Germany and France will continue to work on a “long-term settlement of the conflict” in eastern Ukraine, “the Minsk agreements remain an irreplaceable basis for which,” the FRG Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Context:
In 2014, immediately after the annexation of Crimea, Russia launched an armed aggression in eastern Ukraine. The fighting is between the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the one hand and the Russian army and Russian-backed militants who control parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on the other. Officially, the Russian Federation does not recognize its invasion of Ukraine, despite the facts and evidence presented by Ukraine.
October 1, 2019 members of the trilateral contact group and representatives of certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions gave written consent to approve the text of the “Steinmeier formula”, which provides for the procedure for the entry into force of several clauses of the Minsk agreements regarding local elections in ORDLO. The letter, which was signed by the then head of the Ukrainian delegation to the trilateral contact group Leonid Kuchma, says that Ukraine adopts the text of the wording for the implementation of the “Steinmeier formula” into Ukrainian legislation, disseminated and agreed by the diplomatic advisers of the heads of state and government of Ukraine, Germany, France and the Russian Federation.
how stated the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, the provisions of the “Steinmeier formula” are that the law on the special status of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions will come into effect if local elections are held in these areas in accordance with Ukrainian legislation and after the publication of the OSCE report on the compliance of the elections with the organization’s standards.
The consolidation of the “Steinmeier formula” in Ukrainian legislation is fixed in summit communiqué in the Normandy format, which took place in Paris on December 9, 2019.
In 2019, a number of regional, district and city councils in Ukraine opposed the “Steinmeier formula”… In addition, in Kiev, Kharkov, Odessa, Kherson, Nikolaev, Dnipro, Krivoy Rog, Zaporozhye, Lvov, Mariupol, Kramatorsk and other cities of the country protests were held with the slogan “No surrender!”
In 2020 and at the beginning of this year, representatives of the Ukrainian government practically did not publicly discuss the issue of introducing the “Steinmeier formula.”
In April, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister for the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov gave an interview in which he said that there is no “resentment” in the “Steinmeier formula” and “this is a fantastic document”.
About the need implementation of the “Steinmeier formula” German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke to Zelensky on July 12 before dinner into Ukrainian legislation. “We need the implementation of the so-called Steinmeier formula in Ukrainian legislation. We want elections to be held in these regions,” she said.
The speaker of the Ukrainian delegation to the trilateral contact group on the settlement of the conflict in Donbass, adviser to the head of the President’s Office Oleksiy Arestovich stated that the “Steinmeier formula” actually implemented into Ukrainian legislation – it is spelled out in the law “On a special procedure for local self-government in certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions”, adopted Rada back in 2014 (the need for such legislation fixed in the Minsk agreements). Parliament has already renewed its validity several times, the last time – until December 31, 2021.
Zelenskiy stressed in June that Russia does not comply with Minsk agreements, in particular, issuing their passports to the residents of ORDLO.
Due to certification, it is impossible to fulfill the Minsk agreements and hold elections in the Donbass, says Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. “The Minsk agreements, as they are, are completely absurd. Citizens of Ukraine start yelling to us:“ Let’s quickly implement the Minsk agreements. ”Please tell me: how can elections be held in a concentration camp? “- he noted.
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