Zelensky hopes to end war in Donbas in 2020
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky hopes that it will be possible to end the war in Donbas already in 2020.
"The second meeting in the Normandy Format suggests that we have a great chance to end the war," he said in an interview with the Euronews television channel.
"If we compare our team and the previous one, the way I want, nobody wanted. Nobody did this at such a pace and put pressure on this issue, and everyone can see it. I am not just talking about Ukrainians – all our foreign partners see it. I know that no one will finish it faster than me," Zelensky said.
The head of state said that so far there is no other real effective plan for a peaceful settlement of the situation in eastern Ukraine, which would be supported by all four parties to the Normandy negotiation format. Therefore, he wants to continue moving along this path until the end of the war in Donbas.
"If it [the negotiation format] does not work, then we will already think about another plan," the president said.
Zelensky said that the agreements reached by the leaders of the Normandy Format member states at the last meeting in Paris at the end of 2019 are being implemented, although not as quickly as we would like.
The head of state said that the ceasefire regime in Donbas has already been introduced and is being observed, agreements have also been reached on areas for the disengagement of forces and 20 areas for demining.