Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met for a summit in Paris aimed at stepping up efforts to restore peace in eastern Ukraine. The meeting attended by the leaders of France and Germany, Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel, passed without smiles or handshakes, reports Reuters.
The goal of the meeting between Putin and Zelensky is to end the conflict in which more than 2014 people have died since 13.000.
Diplomats warn that the chances of achieving lasting peace are not high, since Zelensky does not have much room for maneuver, and Putin shows little interest in adapting to external pressures, reports RTS.
After a series of bilateral meetings at the Elysee Palace, Putin and Zelensky entered the meeting room of the four leaders, looked at each other briefly, but without smiling.
Putin and Zelensky did not shake hands in front of the cameras.
"The main question is how to build trust, so that we can move towards the goal of restoring Ukrainian sovereignty," said a diplomatic source from France.
Reuters reports that despite a 2015 Minsk ceasefire agreement, there has been little sign of a peaceful resolution.
The summit in Paris is the first meeting of the four leaders in the so-called Normandy format.
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