Normandy-format summit not directly tied to adoption of legislation on Donbas special status - Peskov
The organization of a Normandy-format summit between the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine is not directly tied to the adoption of legislation on Donbas's special status, but this matter remains fundamental, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
"No, there is no direct link here, but, definitely, everyone expects that Ukraine understands how they are going to behave further and what they are going to do with that legislation. Because this legislation is certainly fundamental. We don't know what an alternative law could look like, and what's most important, it would have to be agreed upon with the DPR and LPR [the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics]," Peskov said in a TV program on the Rossiya-1 (VGTRK) channel.
Asked whether this means that the four leaders would not meet in the Normandy format until there is clarity concerning the legislation on special status of Donbas, Peskov replied: "But Kyiv has so far ruled out direct contacts [with Donetsk and Luhansk]. How are they going to agree this upon and in what format? That is, there would be even more question marks then."