Using the existing Normandy format for negotiations on settling the Donbas conflict as much as possible is better than replacing it, French Ambassador to Ukraine Isabelle Dumont said.

"In other words: the format is the tool, not the objective. We should not forget that. The objective is peace, so, as long as the objective is a problem, changing the tool will not help. On the contrary, now that the tool is working, that people know each other, that there are meetings, the best way is to use this format as much as we can," Dumont said in a joint interview she and German Ambassador to Ukraine Ernst Reichel gave to Interfax-Ukraine.

Reichel said that the lack of progress in the talks on settling the conflict in Donbas has no connection to the negotiating format and is due to the fact that there are fundamental disagreements between Ukraine and Russia.

There have been no proposals from other countries, including the United States, that they join this format, he said.

Dumont also said that it is important to continue dialogue with Russia, especially to discuss the situation in Donbas.