Ukraine Heads Back to the Negotiating Table

In Ukraine, all signs point toward continuing interest from every party in pushing forward with talks on the country's ongoing conflict. Foreign ministers from the four members of the Normandy format are scheduled to meet in Berlin on Sept. 12, ahead of the group's planned presidential-level meeting, set for Oct. 2 in Paris. Diplomats from Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France have been working to resolve the conflict in Ukraine since June 2014, and if the success of the recent temporary cease-fire is any indication, they now may be dealing with a calmer eastern Ukraine and a more amenable Russia. Since its implementation last week, the cease-fire between Ukrainian security forces and Russia-backed separatists has remained more or less in place. The relative calm on the front lines and the resumption of Normandy format meetings indicate that both Russia and the West are serious about reaching a diplomatic solution to the conflict. However, Ukraine's own domestic pressures will continue to create significant obstacles to ending the conflict.