Normandy Four advisors meet in Paris, agree to further talks

Representatives from the governments of Ukraine,
France, Germany, and Russia met in Paris on Jan. 26. The  parties
expressed their disagreements, but agreed to meet in Berlin again in two weeks,
interfax.com.ua reports. A French official stated that getting the Russians to
commit to the Berlin meeting was a “good signal” regarding the Russians’ desire
to de-escalate. The meeting in Paris was the first such gathering in two years.

James Hydzik: One of the
main sticking points is whether the Ukrainian government will speak directly
with the representatives from LNR and DNR. The Russians insist on it, as it
builds their case that this is a local issue. However, bills in Russia’s Duma
are calling for the open supply of weapons to the territories. The move is
unlikely to bring the parties closer, but following the Duma’s request would be
a step toward Russia’s overt military advancement to the line of contact with
Ukraine. Whether such a move would result in sanctions being levied is still an
unknown.