Russia’s representative in the Contact Group on Ukraine for the first time arrived in Kiev – RBC

Russia’s representative in the Contact Group on Ukraine Boris Gryzlov

Photo: Ekaterina Shtukin / TASS

Russia’s representative in the tripartite contact group to resolve the situation in Ukraine, Boris Gryzlov, January 11 arrived in Kiev, “Interfax-Ukraine” with reference to an informed source.

According to the portal Liveuamap, aircraft airline “Russia” on Monday landed at Boryspil airport. Ukraine last year banned the regular flights of Russian airlines in the Ukrainian city, and later under the ban hit, and transit routes.

Source of “Interfax-Ukraine” said that the visit Gryzlov in Kiev, probably associated with the planned in the January 13 meeting of the contact group in Minsk. Official confirmation of the information about the visit to Ukraine Gryzlov has yet been received.

The former speaker of the State Duma Boris Gryzlov was appointed representative of Russia in the contact group on the settlement of the situation in Ukraine on December 26. Prior to that, for talks with the Russian side replied Azamat Kulmuhametov diplomat, who continued to perform their functions after the appointment of Gryzlov and Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov.

And Zurabov and Kulmuhametov participated in meetings in Minsk and not in Kiev.

President’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the appointment of Gryzlov, said that the move is “a substantial increase in the level and indicative of the strengthening of our presence in the responsible work.” According to Peskov, the initiator of the appointment Gryzlov was Vladimir Putin.

Gryzlov was appointed as a political heavyweight in a couple of ex-President Leonid Kuchma, who represents the government of Ukraine at the talks in Minsk, explained RBC source close to the presidential administration.