On January 16, 2015 President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council:
“The meeting participants discussed the situation in southeast Ukraine and the preparations for a Normandy format meeting.”
Note: The Normandy format refers to talks between the leaders of Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine. The format was called “Normandy” after the first summit in June 2014 in France during the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
The next meeting in the Normandy format is now being prepared in an effort to resolve the crisis in Ukraine. It is expected that the talks will be held in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana. Also discussed, the situation in the global energy market and its influence on the global and Russian economy.”
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the speakers of the lower and upper houses of parliament — Sergey Naryshkin and Valentina Matviyenko, presidential chief of staff Sergey Ivanov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Intelligence Service Director Mikhail Fradkov, Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev and his deputy Rashid Nurgaliyev, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and permanent Security Council member Boris Gryzlov.
Profile information on each member below:
Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko
Chairwoman of the Council of Federation
“>, State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin
Naryshkin, Sergei
State Duma Speaker
Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Ivanov
Ivanov, Sergei
Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive OfficeSecurity Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev
Patrushev, Nikolai
Secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
Lavrov, Sergei
Foreign Minister of Russia Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu
Shoigu, Sergei
Defense Minister Foreign Intelligence Service Director Mikhail Fradkov
Fradkov, Mikhail
Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Rashid Nurgaliyev
Nurgaliyev, Rashid
Deputy Secretary of the Security Council and permanent member of the Security Council Boris Gryzlov
Gryzlov, Boris permanent member of the Security Council
Note: When asked if he could provide any additional details of the meeting Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a email communication that the meeting focus was on “the deteriorating situation” in Ukraine’s south-east and the preparations for a possible meeting in the Normandy format. He later declined to elaborate on what he meant by “deteriorating situation.”
This comes amid reports of heavy fighting between the pro Kiev army using artillery and mortars and rebels forces waging a sophisticated asymmetrical guerilla war in that country as they try to defend key cities an towns in eastern Ukraine. We are also getting reports of the use of tanks, heavy weapons, mortars and artillery over the last 24-48 hours.
See related article: Bloodshed mounts in eastern Ukraine http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-peace-prospects-dim-as-6-troops-killed-near-donetsk-airport/
See also: At least 11 killed as fierce fighting breaks out in east Ukraine, say officials http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/16/11-killed-fierce-fighting-breaks-out-east-ukraine-donetsk
See related video: The war in Ukraine – Heavy Combat Action During Fighting Between Ukrainian Army And Novorossian Rebels https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_xcbNv3uDQ