Sibiga explained why serious negotiations with Russia are not yet possible

Russia will not be ready for serious negotiations as long as it expects to achieve through pressure on Ukraine the goals it has failed to achieve on the battlefield. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga emphasized that international pressure on the aggressor must be maintained and intensified.

 

“As long as Russia believes it can achieve the goals of its invasion—goals it is unable to achieve on the battlefield—by pressuring Ukraine to force it to surrender, it will not be ready for serious negotiations,” Sibiga stated.

That is precisely why, he said, maintaining and intensifying pressure on Russia remains critically important for ending the war.

“Peace through strength is the only strategy that works. But this strength must be directed against the aggressor, not against the country that is defending itself,” the minister emphasized.

“This war cannot be ended by stopping Ukraine’s resistance. It can only be ended by stopping the aggressor’s attacks,” he added.

This was Sibiga’s response to statements by Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Ushakov complained that the U.S. has so far failed to pressure Ukraine into accepting peace.

According to Ushakov, after the summit in Alaska, it seemed that Washington might be able to “impose” its terms on Kyiv, but that did not happen; therefore, in his view, talks must also be held with all of Europe.

Source: Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Earlier, Zelenskyy assessed the prospects for new peace talks with Russia.

Prior to this, Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian dictator, stated that talks on resolving the war in Ukraine are planned for the first half of November in Abu Dhabi in a trilateral format involving Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia. 

Ushakov also stated that Russia, the U.S., and China have begun preparing for a trilateral meeting between Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Xi Jinping. According to Putin’s aide, Moscow, Washington, and Beijing are reportedly already ready to hold it.