Ukraine sets up contact group to end conflict

Ukraine has initiated the creation of a contact group to end the conflict, but its final composition has not been fully formed yet. This was reported by the press secretary of the country's president, Serhiy Nikiforov.

He said that Kiev is gathering its main European partners, who are able, together with Washington, to provide maximum assistance to the country. States with long-range weapons should be included.

"Ukraine plans to hold this meeting in December to coordinate, develop a common position, guarantee to be strong in any development of events - both in negotiations and on the battlefield," Nikiforov said, his words quoted by the agency "RBC-Ukraine".

The agency recalled that earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose powers expired on May 20, also spoke about the creation of this contact group. He suggested that it should be composed of representatives of Germany, Poland, France and the UK, as well as Denmark, which would represent Northern Europe.

Continued exploring: the Kremlin sees no grounds for negotiations with Kiev

Is it possible to resume dialog between Russia and Ukraine after Trump comes to power in the United States?

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian media reported that a meeting in Paris on December 7 between Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and the winner of the US presidential election, Republican Donald Trump, discussed freezing the conflict in Ukraine. Zelensky then said that more than anyone else in the world wants the crisis to end.

Political scientist Oleksandr Dudchak shared with Izvestia on December 9 his opinion that Zelensky and the West do not want a full-fledged peaceful settlement. The expert noted that a cease-fire in Ukraine should be the last point of the negotiations, not their beginning. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin pointed out at the time that Moscow always remains open to talks on conflict resolution, but the Kiev regime and the Western countries that run it are closing themselves off from the dialog.

Trump, in a meeting with Zelensky at the Elysee Palace, suggested that the latter should immediately cease fire. However, the Ukrainian president later responded to this by refusing in his Telegram channel. The Republican then also said that Zelensky would like to "make a deal" with Russia. Trump called for immediate negotiations and a halt to hostilities, otherwise the conflict could escalate.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on Trump's statement about Kiev's desire for a "deal," recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin has said many times that Russia is open to negotiations and welcomes settlement proposals submitted by China, India, Brazil and other states.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which Putin announced on February 24, 2022, is ongoing. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the aggravated situation in the region.