Zelensky’s chief of staff Yermak, Russian counterpart Kozak arrive in Minsk for Donbas talks – media

Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, and deputy head of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Administration Dmitry Kozak have arrived in Minsk, Belarus, to take part in a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) for the Donbas settlement.

The parties are expected to discuss an all-for-all swap of held persons, as was agreed by the Normandy Four leaders at the summit in Paris in December 2019, Russian news agency TASS reported on March 11, referring to a source close to the TCG.

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As UNIAN reported, Zelensky earlier said the Ukrainian authorities were making every effort to ensure that the next Normandy meeting could take place in April 2020. However, the then Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said that the summit might not be held in April, as previously scheduled.

Russia’s officials, in turn, said it depended on progress to be made in implementing the existing agreements.

Yermak and Kozak met in Minsk on March 1, also to discuss the next swap stage.