Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France Four-Nation Foreign Policy Advisors 'Paris Meeting'

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken (left in photo) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. (AP Associated Press)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Diplomatic policy advisors from Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and France will meet in Paris, France on the 25th to discuss the Ukraine situation and other matters.

According to TASS and Sputnik news agencies on the 22nd (local time), a source from the Russian Presidential Administration stated that the policy advisors from these countries are scheduled to hold a face-to-face meeting in Paris in the "Normandy format."

From Russia, Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Administration, is expected to participate.

The Normandy format talks refer to the four-party talks between Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict.

The name originates from the meeting of the four countries' leaders on June 6, 2014, at the 70th anniversary ceremony of the Normandy landings in France, where they discussed the Ukraine issue.

This meeting takes place amid rising tensions among the involved countries, following claims from the US, other Western countries, and Ukraine that Russia has deployed 100,000 troops near the Ukraine border and is preparing to invade Ukraine.

Earlier, on the 21st, the foreign ministers of the US and Russia met to ease the military crisis surrounding Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Geneva, Switzerland, and engaged in a tense exchange lasting about an hour and a half, but failed to reach an agreement.

However, they agreed to continue diplomatic efforts and left open the possibility of negotiations through a US-Russia summit, which is seen as a step back from the crisis situation.