Volodymyr Zelenskiy agrees special status for Donbass and elections in region

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has agreed to special status for Donbass and to hold elections in the separatist-controlled eastern region, Euronews has reported.

"Today, the last obstacles were removed on a path to the Normandy Four summit. I think in the nearest future we will have dates," Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv.

The plan for a special status and elections for the Donbass region is known as the Steinmeier formula, with reference to the former German foreign minister who proposed it in 2016.

The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany last met in the Normandy format in October 2016. The group takes its name from a meeting of the countries' leaders in Normandy in 2014.

The announcement comes just weeks after Moscow and Kyiv carried out a long-awaited prisoner swap.