Russia has no veto over Ukraine’s choice - Ukrainian Foreign Minister
Photo: Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
Any negotiations concerning the war in Ukraine have principles that are non-negotiable. One of them refers to the fact that no country has the right to veto the choice of the Ukrainian people, Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, says in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
According to Sybiha, there are fundamental issues that Ukraine does not plan to discuss or touch upon:
- The first concerns the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country. As he pointed out, Kyiv will never recognize the occupied territories;
- The second is that no country has the right to veto the Ukrainian people's choice regarding participation in various alliances. This concerns, for example, the European Union (EU) or NATO;
- The third is that there can be no restrictions on Ukraine's defense capabilities, including the army or its potential.
"These are fundamental things that our partners are aware of. Russia must be held accountable. These are all elements of a comprehensive peace. And I remind you, they were also outlined in our peace formula, reflecting the approaches that define our position on the international stage. Fundamental principles for us are: "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," "Nothing about Europe without Europe." And we have support here as well," the Ukrainian Minister added.
Possible negotiations between Russia and Ukraine
On March 11, a meeting took place in Saudi Arabia between delegations from the United States and Ukraine, during which Washington proposed a 30-day ceasefire along the front line. Kyiv, in turn, supported the proposal.
After that, the US delegation went to Russia to discuss the ceasefire. President Vladimir Putin, commenting on the proposal, began to talk about "nuances."
As Sybiha noted, at this point, the ball is in Russia's court, and it must provide an official response to the US regarding the 30-day truce.
According to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, a decision regarding the full-scale war will only come when Ukraine and Russia sit down at the negotiating table.
