The United States, the European Union, Russia andUkraine will meet at ministerial level next week to discuss the Ukraine crisis, the EU said on Tuesday, offering a glimpse of possible diplomatic progress in the conflict.
The meeting will involve U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia, the EU said.
“(Ashton) continues the diplomatic efforts aiming at de-escalating the situation in Ukraine. In this context she will meet foreign ministers of the U.S., Russian Federation and Ukraine next week,” a spokeswoman for Ashton said.
Further details of the meeting, which will be held at an unspecified location in Europe, are still being worked on, an EU source said.
Separately, an EU diplomat said the EU plans to set up a special support group to help Ukraine stabilize its precarious economy and political situation.
In a phone call on Monday, Kerry and Lavrov had discussed convening direct talks in the next 10 days between Ukraine, Russia, the United States and the European Union to defuse tensions, the U.S. State Department said, Reuters informs.
