Kremlin confirms meeting of Putin and Zelensky in Paris

An Aide to the Russian President Yuri Ushakov said during the “Moscow.Kremlin.Putin” TV program that Russian and Ukrainian presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky plan to meet during the Normandy Four Summit in Paris, but much will depend on the schedule.

"It all depends on how the situation will develop," said Ushakov, as quoted by Interfax.

Ushakov also added that the presidents "can step aside and talk for 30 minutes, or an hour and a half."

The Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov also spoke about a possible bilateral meeting. "One way or another, Putin and Zelensky will communicate. In the case of Putin and Zelensky, this is much more important than the entourage of the meeting," he said. Peskov added that an agreement on the format of a meeting will be reached closer to the meeting itself.

According to the Press Secretary of the Russian President, key issues may be discussed during the meeting. Peskov noted that Putin and Zelensky could discuss the gas transit contract through the territory of Ukraine.

Earlier, Peskov suggested not to put too many expectations on the Paris Summit. He said that the discussion of the special status of the Donbas, as a part of the Minsk agreements, is an essential part of the negotiations.

The Normandy Four Summit will be held on December 9 in Paris. It will be the first official meeting of Putin and Zelensky. The last time the presidents of Russia and Ukraine held a bilateral meeting in 2016. Then, during the Normandy Four meeting, Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko spoke for more than 40 minutes.