Ukrainian representative in the Trilateral Contact Group Leonid Kuchma has expressed the view that until electoral processes in the countries participating in the Normandy Format are over, there will be no substantial changes during the talks on Donbas.

"The responsibility is with Germany, France and Russia. [As for] the Ukrainian side, as you can imagine, peace is priority number one... I have such a conviction that there will be no serious advancements until the German and Russian elections [are over]," Kuchma told reporters in Kyiv on Thursday.

Kuchma however expressed hope that new French President Emmanuel Macron will help break the stalemate in the negotiations.