Kiev: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has held a meeting with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss regional security challenges, the presidential press service reported. After the talks in Kiev, Zelensky told reporters that the two parties talked over the peace process in and around Ukraine and the legal guarantees that would help to protect Ukraine, Xinhua news agency reported.
In particular, Zelensky said that Ukraine needs energy security guarantees due to the risks associated with the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline. Besides, the parties discussed the steps that have been made within the framework of a peaceful settlement in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, in particular the two rounds of talks in the Normandy format at the level of political advisors.
"We expect that in the near future we will be able to hold further talks and agree on a summit of the leaders of the Normandy Four," Zelensky said.For his part, Scholz said that Germany is trying to find a diplomatic solution to the situation around Ukraine."Together with France, we have intensified our efforts in the Normandy format. It's a difficult process, but I'm sure it's worth the effort," Scholz said.
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Zelensky and Scholz also discussed Ukraine's aspirations to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during their talks.At the press conference after the talks, Scholz said that Ukraine's possible accession to NATO is currently "out of the agenda", Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. Ukraine and Germany are members of the Normandy format that also includes Russia and France.
Scholz arrived in Kiev earlier in the day for a working visit. On Tuesday he will visit Moscow. Since November, Kiev and some Western countries have accused Russia of assembling heavy troops near the Ukrainian border with a possible intention of "invasion". Russia denied the accusation, saying that Russia has the right to mobilize troops within its borders to defend its territory as NATO's activities constitute a threat to Russia's border security.
(IANS)
