You're reading: Poroshenko reveals his agenda for Normandy format phone talks on July 24

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he intends to demand a real cease-fire in the Donbas war zone during the negotiations between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France, known as the “Normandy four” countries, scheduled for July 24.

Poroshenko also intends to demand stronger sanctions for the failure to implement the achieved agreements.

“Phone conversations in the ‘Normandy format’ will take place on Monday and I will seek a real cease-fire along the entire contact line. If the decisions made by the G7 in Italy are not implemented, I will also (demand) stronger sanctions,” Poroshenko said in a joint statement with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Kyiv on Friday.

The Ukrainian president said no one will just look on as the Minsk Agreements are being massively violated.

“The Minsk Agreements, which are in UN Security Council and UN General Assembly resolutions and international documents, and which I am confident will be included in diplomacy textbooks, are now the common and only document on the de-escalation of the conflict and de-occupation of the Ukrainian territories, including withdrawal of foreign troops, restoration of control over the uncontrolled part of the Ukrainian-Russian border, withdrawal of heavy artillery, and ensuring unimpeded work of the OSCE special monitoring mission,” Poroshenko said.

As reported, on July 19, the OSCE representative to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on Ukraine Martin Sajdik said negotiations of the Normandy Four countries’ leaders in the teleconference format are scheduled for next Monday.

The discussion on the disengagement of forces and equipment in Stanytsia Luhanska took place. He said that in this regard he hopes for a positive decision on this issue prior to the teleconference of the Normandy Four countries’ leaders on July 24.