Norman talks: Ukraine and Russia can raise stakes in Donbas

On July 24 the leaders of the Norman Quartet had a telephone conversation – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin. During more than two hours of negotiations, the parties discussed the conflict in the Donbas and noted the importance of implementing a ceasefire and the withdrawal of heavy weapons. The political analyst of the Ukrainian Institute for the Future, Igar Tyshkevich, explained to Apostrophe why the meeting is a protocol event that does not affect the situation, and what decisions can Ukraine take without Western partners.