Ukraine is capable of continuing fight, but this war needs to be ended – MoD
Photo: Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov (Getty Images)
Ukraine is capable of continuing its fight against Russian aggression, but it is necessary to end the war in order to save lives, states Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov during a national telethon live broadcast.
Umerov once again emphasized that Ukraine wants peace.
"Ukraine is focused on its people, and we are capable of continuing to fight, but ultimately, we need to end this war," the minister stated.
Talks in Istanbul and Russian threats
Today, May 16, negotiations took place in Istanbul between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations. Ukrainian and Russian officials spent over an hour discussing issues related to ending the war.
At the same time, The Economist correspondent Oliver Carroll reported that the Russian delegation threatened during the Istanbul talks to seize two more Ukrainian regions — Kharkiv and Sumy — and to continue fighting against Ukraine "no matter how long it takes."
Earlier today, media outlets revealed Russia’s unacceptable demands during the negotiations in Istanbul.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that during the talks, the Russian delegation put forward a number of unacceptable demands that do not align with Ukraine’s interests. However, Ukraine stood firm on its position, followed its own course, and steered the discussion back to the points that matter to it.
