What happens if US walks away from Russia peace talks? Ukraine weighs in
Photo: Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine must become increasingly self-sufficient in matters of defense. However, Europe cannot have an effective security architecture without the United States, believes Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
Journalists of Libération asked Sybiha whether Ukraine is discussing with its partners a scenario in which the US withdraws from peace negotiations. The minister responded that he does not believe in an effective European security architecture without the US and that such scenarios are not being discussed.
"Ukraine must become increasingly self-sufficient in matters of defense. We have the opportunity to accelerate this process. In a broader sense, this also concerns Europe's self-sufficiency. Europe is taking more and more responsibility for its own security," Sybiha stated.
According to him, the increase in defense budgets in European countries and NATO members is an irreversible process.
"Russia will not disappear. It is an existential threat to Europe, and we must proceed from this fact, whether we like it or not. We must be prepared. Some countries believe that Ukraine is on the verge of a military collapse. That is not true. We are not losing, and Russia is not winning," the minister emphasized.
He reminded that after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has faced deep economic shocks. One day of war costs Russia nearly one billion dollars.
"Sanctions are painful. In three years, Russia has not achieved any strategic objective in its aggression against Ukraine. We must understand Ukraine's strength. The economy is functioning, and so is the state apparatus. We have restored the grain corridors in the Black Sea and limited the capabilities of the Russian fleet. We are truly demonstrating unprecedented courage, heroism, and resilience," Sybiha added.
Trump's position
US President Donald Trump, after talking to Russian Vladimir Putin, told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders that Kyiv and Moscow must find a way out of the war on their own.
Media outlets reported that Trump also refused to support a European pressure campaign that would include new sanctions against Russia.
It is worth recalling that last week Trump called both Putin and Zelenskyy. He spoke with the Ukrainian president twice - first, before the call with Putin.
More details on the Trump-Putin conversation can be found in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
