Poroshenko suggests urgently holding consultations at level of foreign ministers of 'Normandy four' countries
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has ordered Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin to hold urgent consultations at the level of the foreign ministries of Germany, France and Russia (the 'Normandy four').
"I have ordered Minister Pavlo Klimkin to hold urgent consultations at the level of the foreign ministries of the Normandy four countries on the development of the situation in Donbas," Poroshenko said on his Twitter account on Monday.
The Ukrainian foreign minister later said on Twitter he will discuss this matter with his French, German and Russian counterparts.
"I will talk with the foreign ministers of the Normandy four countries at Poroshenko's request," Klimkin said.
According to Kyiv, the situation in Donbas has aggravated sharply through the fault of the militants. In the early hours of August 10, they attempted an attack in the direction of Novolaspa-Starohnativka after artillery preparations. The Ukrainian military said they had stopped the offensive and then begun a counterattack. After that, the militants "used reactive salvo fire systems" to open fire on the positions of the 72nd separate mechanized brigade near the populated area of Starohnativka.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it "immediately informs the OSCE chairperson-in-office, the countries of the 'Normandy format', the EU and NATO about the exacerbation of the situation in Donbas and the threat of disruption of the peaceful settlement plan" at the request of the Ukrainian president.
Kyiv said Ukrainian diplomats are also in constant contact with the OSCE SMM and they are assisting the SMM with fulfilling its mandate in Donbas.