Ukraine talks with the Russian Federation only about the restoration of its own territorial integrity – Kuleb
Ukraine is ready to discuss with the Russian Federation only the issue of full restoration of its own territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders.
As reported by Ukrinform, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, stated this in an interview with the Austrian public broadcaster ORF.
“We will be ready to discuss with Russia only the issue of restoring the full territorial power of Ukraine. But at the moment, the situation is not like that. After all, Russia continues to attack Ukrainian cities and continues its ground offensive. This is not the way countries that want negotiations behave. We are not stupid, we want to see from Russia’s actions aimed at peace,” the minister commented on the possibility of negotiations with the Russian Federation.
Kuleba also answered the question of what the concrete actions expected by Russia from Ukraine should look like: “First, it is a ceasefire, and secondly, the withdrawal of troops from Ukrainian territory.”
At the same time, the minister said that “the more atrocities the Russian army commits in Ukraine and the more aggressive the policy of President Putin, the more difficult it will be to talk to him.”
“My country was attacked, and part of its territory was captured by the enemy. The war will end only when the territorial integrity of Ukraine is restored – as it would be in the case of Austria, whose other European country,” he said.
The head of the Foreign Ministry also indicated that part of the occupied territory of Russia can be used diplomatically.
“Ukrainians are fighting now for their country. But diplomacy should not be ruled out either. Some parts of Ukrainian territory can be returned with the help of military force, others – through diplomacy,” he said.
At the same time, Kuleba emphasized that the return of all Ukrainian territories also includes Crimea.
“I don’t understand why some journalists, experts and politicians treat the Crimea issue like that. What is the difference between Crimea and other territories of Ukraine occupied by Russia?” he commented on the Crimea issue.
The minister added that Ukraine is not afraid of Russia and should behave this way in other countries of the world: “We know how to defeat Russia. And we are not afraid of her. The war taught us not to fear the enemy. quickly put her in her place.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also emphasized that Russia will not determine the internal or foreign policy of Ukraine.
“We will not allow Russia to impose its will on us,” he stressed.
According to Ukrinform participants, on February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, thereby continuing the armed aggression, which has been ongoing since 2014. The troops of the Russian Federation are shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities, carrying out massive shelling of residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, rocket launchers and ballistic missiles.
The defense forces of Ukraine are fiercely resisting the invaders, inflicting heavy losses on them and proceeding to liberate the occupied territories.