German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is not bringing any initiative to Georgia and this is merely speculation – Davit Zalkaliani, Minister of Foreign Affairs told journalists.

Foreign Minister commented about the Steinmeier’s Formula (a potential way to reinvigorate negotiations with Russia recently suggested to Ukraine) and confirmed the information about the forthcoming visit of Steinmeier.

“Frank-Walter Steinmeier has no initiatives about the resolution of conflicts in Georgia, this is merely speculation,” Zalkaliani claimed, and added that the visit of German President to was planned during the visit of Georgian President to Germany.

According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Steinmeier’s formula calls for elections to be held in the separatist-held territories under Ukrainian legislation and the supervision of the OSCE. If the OSCE judges the balloting to be free and fair, then a special self-governing status for the territories will be initiated and Ukraine will be returned control of its easternmost border.

The formula was vocalized and had not been put to paper until it was signed on October 1 by representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the separatist territories of Luhansk and Donetsk, and the OSCE in Minsk.

Acknowledging that the Steinmeier Formula had become a highly charged issue for the Ukrainian public, Ukraine’s President Volodimir Zelenskiy said he wanted to clarify what it meant.

Yes, he said, by signing on, Ukraine agreed to hold local elections in the Donbas — but only under Ukrainian law, and only after Russian forces are withdrawn and Ukraine regains control of the state border — wording that suggests there may still be ample room for disagreement on the sequence of steps each side must take.

“There won’t be any elections under the barrel of a gun,” Zelenskiy said, apparently trying to bat away assertions that he had conceded to Russia’s demands. “There won’t be any elections there if the troops are still there.”

He said a new law on special self-governing status for the Donbas would be addressed by parliament soon and that the language included in it would not cross any “red lines,” adding that “there will be no capitulation.”

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany will arrive in Georgia with an official visit together with his wife Elke Büdenbende on October 6.