Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is satisfied with the current situation in Donbas, so he has no reason to make any concessions to Ukraine on this issue.

Klimkin said this in an interview with the Glavcom news agency.

"In today's reality, Putin is satisfied with the current status quo. He has no reason to make any concessions on Donbas. The current situation is a deterrent to the entire further development of Ukraine. Putin does not need Donbas at all. He needs the total destruction of Ukraine," he said.

According to Klimkin, progress is only possible in one case - as a result of some agreement with the West or part of it and the involvement of the United States, since the United States is a defining element of the world security architecture for Putin.

"Progress on Donbas could be reached as part of such an agreement. But if such an agreement is reached, then, I am sure, in the current situation, it will be concluded through our head. They will try to impose this agreement on us. The next meeting in the Normandy format will be dependent on this," the diplomat said.

Klimkin noted that the December meeting of the leaders of the Normandy Four countries was an emotionally important event for everyone, but all the agreements reached there, even on a ceasefire, are not working.

"A few days ago we saw an escalation that cannot be local in scale. We know very well how the Russian system works, so we cannot imagine that a local fighter drank a glass of vodka and decided to shoot. Such shelling from artillery and mortars was clearly guided by Moscow and Rostov. Here is the result of the previous summit agreements. [...] So, for me, the question is not only whether there will be a meeting, but what will happen next?" he said.

op