As Merkel noted earlier, “Europe is always about finding a compromise,” and it appears they are getting closer – as long as a ‘program’ continues. […]
“You make compromises when the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Germany is ready for that…”
Ukraine Cease Fire and Withdrawal:
Because both sides will have to withdraw their artillery systems, the result will be a very deep area without artillery cover in the center of the demarcation line.
The Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine is expected to sign a document on settling the crisis, which it will then hand over to the ‘Normandy Four’ leaders for approval, Russian Ambassador to Belarus Aleksandr Surikov said.
“Right now the contact group is finalizing and handing over [the] signed and agreed document and then [leaders of the ‘Normandy Four’] will either approve it or not. Right now, the ‘Normandy summit’ is discussing possible variants of the document,” Surikov said, as quoted by RIA Novosti.
The German chancellor made the offer at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where she spoke of a free trade area “from Lisbon to Vladivostok”, according to a report in Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.Mrs Merkel said Germany was “ready” to discuss “possibilities of cooperation in a common trade areas”. But she made it clear talks could not start until Russia abides by the Minsk Agreement, the ceasefire agreed in September
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