Continuing our series of consultations on the Donbass problem, we held a closed Round Table on 16 November, 2021 as announced earlier on. In addition to high-ranking Ukrainian politicians and experts, the meeting was attended by representatives of the Austrian DoD, which was also a co-organizer, as well as the Austrian MFA.
The agenda was dominated by security issues as well as the quest for new formats for conflict regulation. Among the relevant questions, the probability of a Russian invasion as well as the possibility of NATO accession by Ukraine was discussed There was agreement to the effect that while the Normandy format was the only existing dialogue platform, it had to be replaced by a different setup. The Minsk agreements, it was argued, would be blocked in parliament.
Among the proposals that were advanced by our Ukrainian interlocutors was the idea of an international fund for the reconstruction of the Donbas.