French President Francois Hollande said that the idea of negotiations in the “Normandy format” belonged to him. This is stated in a published book of journalists of Le Monde, based on years of informal conversations with Hollande.
The book contains fragments, on the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, including the story of how was created the Normandy format, the yevropeiska Pravda reported, citing Radio France Internationale.
According to Hollande, the idea of four-party talks belong to it, and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin did not immediately agreed to such a meeting. After several rounds of negotiations, all parties agreed to meet in the castle of Bénouville
“Putin and Poroshenko behave cautiously. In the great hall of the castle there is a very tense atmosphere,” the report journalists description of the meeting. In kinigi argues that the negotiations in June 2014 the first joint photo of the presidents of Poroshenko and Putin, which have never been published for more than 2 years.
Photography has only exacerbated the atmosphere, as the Russian President was initially against taking pictures of their meeting, according to the publication.
“It was felt that Putin waged a tough game, but Poroshenko, who had presidential experience, it seems, to have experienced physical fear,” Hollande told reporters his impressions of the meeting.
The French President admitted that the practical arrangements for the meeting had not been achieved, but he thinks she’s successful, as was contact between the leaders of the warring countries.
