The Russian Federation has confirmed its desire to hold a meeting at the level of political advisors to the leaders of the Normandy format countries (Ukraine, Germany, France, Russia), said Oleksiy Arestovych, spokesperson of the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group for the Settlement of the Conflict in Donbas (TCG).

"The Ukrainian delegation to participate in the TCG qualifies what is happening as very, very, very slow, but progress. The most important achievement for us is that Russia is still maintaining the process, and, in fact, we can state that things are going according to plan 'A,' that there are no formal and informal grounds for the transition to plan 'B' yet," Arestovych said at a press briefing "Anniversary of the Normandy summit in Paris: what has been achieved in a year?" in Kyiv on Friday.

He added that "recently this week they [Russia] confirmed their desire to hold a meeting at the level of political advisors."

The spokesperson reminded that the last TCG meeting this year will take place on December 15.

"And even if we look at the things done in subgroups, we can say that even in the work of the checkpoint all these two sheets with technical conditions, which we are constantly agreeing on, and there is progress. Unfortunately, it is very slow. Unfortunately, it is the slowest in the most painful issue, which is the release of mutually detained persons. Nevertheless, the Normandy format exists, and although it is advancing very slowly, it exists," Arestovych said.