Russian, Ukrainian, German, French leaders may meet at U.N. but no date set - Kremlin

MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. Leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France may meet at next month’s U.N. General Assembly in New York but no specific date has been set so far, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. "This has not yet been specifically discussed," Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters, noting however that such a meeting was "theoretically possible" on the sidelines of the General Assembly session. Asked about the possibility of contacts between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama at the United Nations, Ushakov said Putin’s schedule was being coordinated at the moment. On Tuesday, French President Francois Hollande said the leaders of the four countries could hold a fresh meeting in Paris soon. The French president said he had discussed the issue with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and he also maintained close contact with the Russian leader. "We have talked about organising a new meeting in the 'Normandy format’. It may take place in Paris," Hollande said. The "Normandy format" of negotiations on Ukraine has existed since June 2014. At that time, during celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the Allied landing in Normandy, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France for the first time discussed ways to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Since then, two more summits, five ministerial meetings and ten telephone conversations have taken place. Read more