Negotiating parties in Paris talks commit to upholding ceasefire in eastern Ukraine

In a joint communiqué released after eight hours of talks in Paris, representatives of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany supported an "unconditional compliance with the ceasefire… regardless of differences on other issues related to the implementation of the Minsk agreements".

The Minsk agreement, signed in September 2014, was aimed at stopping the fighting in eastern Ukraine, but failed. However, the four countries that make up the so-called Normandy Format agreed that the accord formed the basis for any future resolution to the conflict.

Russia was represented in Paris by the Kremlin's deputy chief of staff, Dmitry Kozak, and Ukraine by presidential adviser Andriy Yermak, with advisers to President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also taking part in the talks that began Wednesday morning. 

Many issues concerning a peace settlement for the conflict in eastern Ukraine remained unresolved at the end of the day, Kozak said at a news conference.

But he said he hoped positions could be narrowed.

Announcing that a new round of talks would be held in Berlin in two weeks, Kozak added: "We need a supplementary pause. We hope that this process will have results in two weeks."

He said that the Berlin talks would take place at the same level as the marathon eight-hour session in Paris, involving diplomatic envoys, adding that for the moment, a summit involving heads of state was "not on the agenda".

A German government source later confirmed that the next round would take place in Berlin in the second week of February.

A French diplomat said that Wednesday's talks had sent a "good signal", though major differences remained.

At a joint press conference with Scholz in Paris on Tuesday, Macron said France and Germany were ready to pursue dialogue with Russia, but if Moscow attacked Ukraine the price would be "very high".

‘The ball is in their court’

The talks came as the US and NATO on Wednesday delivered written responses to Russia on its demands for security guarantees as part of negotiations to avert a military escalation against Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the document, handed over in person by US ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan, addressed Russia’s concerns and raised those of the United States and its allies.

He told reporters the response sets out a serious diplomatic path forward, should Russia choose it, and has a principled and pragmatic evaluation of the concerns Moscow has raised. He added that the US was open to dialogue.

“Putting things in writing is ... a good way to make sure we’re as precise as possible, and the Russians understand our positions, our ideas, as clearly as possible. Right now, the document is with them and the ball is in their court,” he said.

But, he stressed, “We make clear that there are core principles that we are committed to uphold and defend, including Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the right of states to choose their own security arrangements and alliances.”

NATO on Wednesday also sent its written response to Russia's security demands to Moscow, said Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

"We are now reaching out to Russia once again to try to pursue a path of dialogue and find a political solution," Stoltenberg said. "But of course while we are hoping for and working for a good solution, de-escalation, we are also prepared for the worst."

'Dialogue and dissuasion'

Amid the diplomatic efforts, Western powers kept up their warnings of massive economic sanctions in the event of a Russian attack on pro-Western Ukraine.

Concerned about the rhetoric in Washington and London, and their decision to withdraw some embassy staff and families in Kyiv, an aide to Macron warned on Monday about "creating any ambiguity or creating any additional volatility."

"We want a de-escalation, which means both dialogue and dissuasion," the aide said on Wednesday. 

"Discussion about sanctions with our European and American partners, with institutions, is taking place to ensure that this dissuasion is sufficiently credible, so that the dialogue is credible. They are linked," the aide added.

"But the sanctions must not lead to retaliation that will boomerang on us and have a cost," the aide said. "Sanctions are not be-all and end-all of the response."

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US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany "will not move forward" if Russia invades Ukraine, though he did not elaborate on whether Germany had taken the same position.

Washington worries Nord Stream 2 would increase Europe's reliance on Russia for gas.

The US has also been drawing up plans to shore up European gas supply should Russia cut off shipments through its existing pipelines in response to Western sanctions.

The White House announced Tuesday that Biden would meet with the emir of gas-rich Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on January 31 to discuss, among other issues, "ensuring the stability of global energy supplies".

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)