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In addition, the conditions for the separation of forces at two pilot sites in the Donbas were agreed in Minsk.
More details will be worked out at the upcoming Normandy Four meeting where Zelenskiy will face off against Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time.
The deal means the occupied regions would hold elections and get a special self-governing status if those elections are deemed fair and free by international observers from the OSCE. Fighting would have to cease before the elections are held and Zelenskiy emphasised that Russian regular troops would have to withdraw from the region and Ukraine would have to take back full control of the borders before the elections could be held.
“There will be no elections ‘at the gunpoint’,” Zelenskiy said at a press conference on the same day. “If someone [militants] will be there, there will be no elections.”
The elections will be conducted by the Ukrainian Central Election Commission in accordance with Ukrainian law, Zelenskiy stressed, and Ukrainian observers, independent press and political organisations must be permitted to take part in the electoral process he added.
If the elections are free and fair the region will be granted an autonomous status. Zelensky didn’t specify what kind of self-governance the regions will obtain.
While the Kremlin is not involved in the talks, it is standing behind the separatist fighters in Donbas, supplying them with material and has sent thousands of unmarked soldiers into the fight, who are officially there “on holiday” when spotted by observers.
The deal may be acceptable to the Kremlin as part of the reason it has destabilised the Donbas is it provides a guarantee that Ukraine cannot join Nato – a red line issue for Russia. Nato rules preclude any country from becoming a member if it has a live border dispute with another country at the time of application.
As part of any resolution to the fighting Russia is looking for a guarantee that Ukraine will not join Nato in the future and an autonomous status for Donbas would be an option as the region would get a de facto veto on any attempt to join Nato by Ukraine, but the region would almost certain remain under the influence of Moscow.
Steinmeier’s formula was revived recently after a July 12 meeting when Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine’s former representative to the Minsk process and now Ukraine’s new minister of foreign affairs, attended a meeting of advisors of the heads of states of the Normandy Four. Russia is now insisting on this formula and on August 27 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared that one of the conditions for the next Normandy Four meeting to go ahead would be to have a commitment to the Steinmeier formula in writing.
Zelenskiy has been caught in an awkward position as he has declared he wants to bring the war in Donbas to an end, but at the same time he can’t be seen as giving in to Russia aggression.
As the news of the Steinmeier deal was announced hundreds of people began demonstrating outside the president’s offices to protest against the state giving any concessions to Russia.
6​ UKRAINE Country Report​ October 2019 ​ ​www.intellinews.com