Zelenskyy’s Office sets firm precondition for peace talks with Russia
Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (Photo: RBC-Ukraine, Vitalii Nosach)
Andriy Yermak, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, stated that Ukraine has taken a firm stance against any freezing of the current war, stating that the key precondition for initiating negotiations with Russia is the complete withdrawal of Russian forces to the positions they held before February 24, 2022.
Yermak reminded us that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had never spoken about territorial compromise. The President has always emphasized the need to adhere to internationally recognized borders.
"However, it is true that he was ready to negotiate (in 2022, - ed.) based on the situation as it stood before the Russian invasion. For us, Crimea and Donbas remain Ukrainian; they are not up for discussion. We are against freezing the war; we want it to end. We are reassured by the fact that Global South countries also condemn the Russian invasion and the forcible seizure of territories," Yermak stated.
However, he emphasized that for negotiations to begin, it is necessary to return to the situation that existed before the first Russian shot was fired at four in the morning over two years ago.
"Then we will discuss how to restore our sovereignty to the 1991 borders," Yermak stressed.
The Head of the President’s Office noted that he does not care about what Russian dictator Vladimir Putin says regarding the need to consider "realities on the ground."
"I don’t care what this aggressor says! We cannot build a peace proposal under the influence of those who wanted this war. We will be ready to hold an international conference when we feel strong and have the support of Global South countries for negotiations with Russia," he said.
Peace initiatives for Ukraine
Ukraine has proposed its plan for peacefully resolving the war – the so-called peace formula. Additionally, this June, the first Ukraine Peace Summit was held in Switzerland, where diplomatic solutions to the conflict were discussed.
Ukrainian leadership has not ruled out inviting Russia to the second summit. Some countries that typically support Russia, including China, Brazil, Indonesia, and South Africa, have proposed their own peace initiatives.
However, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized these alternative peace plans, considering them detrimental to the peace-building process.
