“Ukraine’s goal in this war … is to liberate our territories, restore our territorial integrity and full sovereignty over eastern and southern Ukraine,” the foreign minister said
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba today ruled out the possibility of ceding territory to Russia in the context of any peace agreement, noting that no peace talks are taking place between Moscow and Kiev.
“Ukraine’s goal in this war… is to liberate our territories, restore our territorial integrity and full sovereignty over eastern and southern Ukraine“, he said in a press briefing. “This is the final point of our negotiating position.”
Russia, which invaded Ukraine on February 24, gained control of Lugansk Province in eastern Ukraine this month and hopes to seize all the territory it does not yet control in neighboring Donetsk, the other province of the industrial Donbas region.
Kuleba said in an interview published earlier today – ahead of talks in Istanbul involving Ukrainians, Russians, Turks and UN officials – that a deal to resume Ukrainian grain exports blocked by Russia appears to be very close.
However, he made it clear that the wider peace talks have frozen.
“There are currently no (peace) talks between Russia and Ukraine due to Russia’s position and continued aggression against our country“, said the Ukrainian Foreign Minister.
Asked about the Canadian government’s decision to return to Germany a repaired turbine needed for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, Kuleba said Kyiv had told Berlin and Ottawa that this was a “mistake”.
RES-EMP
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