The Normandy format (Ukraine, Germany, France, Russia) does not bring real outcome in the settlement of the conflict in Donbas, therefore it is important for the EU and the United States to be present in the settlement formats, Member of the European Parliament, Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, Member of the European Parliament Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee and Former Prime Minister of Lithuania Andrius Kubilius has said.

"I am not so heavily involved into those negotiations. But I was always saying that first of all it is important for the EU to be present in those formats and for the US. It is good that Germany and France took initiative to create the Normandy format but we see that it does not bring real outcome. So if to talk about how to change that format I would say that let's look for a possibility for the EU to be present and of the US," Kubilius told Interfax-Ukraine.

He said that he does not believe that real progress can be achieved in the settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict with the help of the existing formats. "Unfortunately I do not see that with those formats which are established now the real progress can be achieved. To keep some kind of cold peace maybe it can help but to resolve the whole issue I do not see that it can happen because it depends solely on Kremlin. What kind of instruments we have in the West to convince Kremlin to change its behavior I do not see very clearly for time being," the MEP said.

Kubilius said that what can change Kremlin attitude to the war in Donbas – is democracy in Russia. "Some people are saying that democracy in Russia is far away and maybe it is too romantic to see. But I see from my own experience that sometimes democratic developments in this part of Europe are starting to happen in a very unexpected way. And Ukraine is really a good example of how democracy can be established in our region. After Maidan Ukraine is a good example of maturity of democracy," he said.

"Now we see that Belorussian people are starting to follow Ukrainian example with revolution of last year. Lukashenko is still keeping power but I think that this will not continue for long period of time. And then the question is how this democratic development, democratic wave will go into Russia," the MEP said.

According to him, democracy in Russia can also be a solution and answer to the war in Donbas. "That is what we need to have in mind and that is why Ukraine can be really even more proactive in a positive way in playing some kind of geopolitical role in taking care about spread of democracy around Ukraine, in the neighborhood," Kubilius said.