On Monday 29 May, France's President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would like a Normandy-format meeting (Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany,) at the level of presidents and chancellor, to be held in the near future to discuss the situation in eastern Ukraine.
"Our desire is that a Normandy-format discussion be held as quickly as possible with Germany and Ukraine, and that a full assessment of the elements be shared – and in particular that we might have a detailed report from the OSCE", Macron said at a press conference in Versailles, France, with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Macron hoped the OSCE would participate at the beginning of the meeting and that its report might "express the reality – in particular, the weapons situation on the border and conflict areas".
Macron said there was a resolve for the conflict to be de-escalated, within the framework of the Minsk agreements, and that there was a resolve for the de-escalation of the consequences the conflict has generated on both sides. Europeans have taken numerous actions against Russia in connection with the Ukrainian crisis and Russia's annexation of Crimea – sanctions that Moscow has replicated. Macron also said that the G7 did not rule out the escalation of sanctions, if necessary – but he added that this was not what he wanted. The objective is "to manage to find solutions within the Minsk framework, and for there to be a de-escalation from the Ukrainian side and the Russian side", he said. Putin, meanwhile, did not think that sanctions would help find a solution to the Ukrainian crisis.
In the declaration published at the end of its meeting in Taormina, Italy, on 26 and 27 May, the G7 (France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Canada, Japan and the USA) stated that the duration of the sanctions was "clearly linked" to Russia's full implementation of its commitments as part of the Minsk agreements, and its respect of Ukraine's sovereignty. The sanctions can be lifted when Moscow fulfils its commitments, but the G7 remains ready to take further restrictive measures to increase the cost (the pressure) on Russia if its actions so require, the G7 declaration warns. The G7 countries also said that a sustainable solution to the Ukrainian crisis could only be reached with the full implementation of the Minsk agreements by all parties. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)