Normandy Format summit schedule published

The schedule for the Normandy Format summit in Paris
on Dec. 9 was published on Dec. 8 by the President’s Office of Ukraine. Formal
meetings will occur for about three hours. News reports this weekend, from both
Russian and Ukrainian mass media, confirmed that Ukrainian President Zelensky
will meet separately with Russian President Putin after the formal Normandy
Format summit events. They are likely to discuss issues tangential to the Minsk
Accords, such as natural gas transit and purchase, the eurointegration.com.ua
news site said this morning, citing anonymous sources. The President’s Office
has already said it is interested in discussing gas issues if initiated by the
Russian side.

Normandy Format summit schedule, based on local time
in Paris:

14:55 Ukrainian President Zelensky arrives at the
Elysee Palace

15:00 German Chancellor Merkel to meet with Russian
President Putin

15:05 French President Emmanuel Macron meets with
Zelensky

15:30 Merkel meets with Zelensky

16:00 Four leaders of the Normandy Format meet

18:45 Press conference with the four leaders

Zelensky to meet separately with Putin after the press
conference, according to Russian and Ukrainian mass media.

Zenon Zawada: The short
schedule confirms that negotiations and agreements have already been taking
place between Russian and Ukrainian diplomats and presidential advisers,
probably for weeks. The face-to-face meetings today will merely attempt to tie
up loose ends that remain, which could be many. Otherwise, it would be
impossible to resolve all the weighty, complicated issues involved in the
resolving the warfare in Donbas in such a brief period of time.