German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has called on Russia to fulfill its obligations as part of the Minsk agreements to achieve peace in eastern Ukraine.

He stated this at a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Vadym Prystaiko in Kyiv on Tuesday, November 19, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"More than 13,000 people have been killed in the Donbas war. We have to end it. This has been a reality in Ukraine for too long. We have a good opportunity, perhaps the best one in a long time, to change something in this sense. [...] Important steps have been taken. Troops have been withdrawn in Stanytsia Luhanska, Zolote, and Petrivske. A bridge [in Stanytsia Luhanska] is being built. [...] People need to have more points of crossing the contact line, greater security to rebuild important infrastructure. In our opinion, it is Russia's turn now," Maas said.

In this sense, he noted that agreements to be reached at the negotiations should be measured by results and actions.

According to Maas, the issue of the law on a special status for certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, preparations for holding local elections and the issue of crimes committed during the war in non-government controlled areas in Donbas are only some important issues that need to be resolved.

"That is why Germany, together with France, will continue to make its contribution so as to finally bring peace to the east of Ukraine. We are doing this not as neutral mediators. We are defending the interests of Europe and the principles of the European peace order, and so we stand for the territorial integrity of Ukraine," he said.

A summit with the participation of the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, and Russia (the so-called Normandy Four) is to take place in Paris on December 9.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that he intended to raise at this meeting the issue of specific terms of Donbas de-occupation, the return of hostages, the resolution of the security situation, and the holding of local elections.

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