Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said that Ukraine should decide for itself when it is ready for possible negotiations with the aggressor country Russia on ending the war. No other country should put pressure on Kyiv in this regard.

The politician said this on Thursday, 10 August, according to Yle. She noted that Ukraine should not be put under pressure from any side on the terms of peace.

"Especially at this moment, it is very important that Ukraine is not pressured in any direction," the foreign minister said.

According to her, the West is doing everything possible to end the war, supporting Ukraine "decisively, convincingly and persistently". However, it is up to Kyiv to determine what the long-awaited peace will look like in the end.

Valtonen reminded that Ukraine is a sovereign state that has the right to territorial integrity and defence.

"By the same logic, Ukraine can determine when it is ready for peace talks or, perhaps, for peace," the politician added.

Earlier, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller also said that it is Ukraine that should make the decision on any negotiations with Russia. Kyiv has repeatedly stated that it is open to a dialogue that will respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state, but Moscow is not yet ready for this.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin cannot be a party to the negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. Against the backdrop of the bloody and heinous crimes committed by the occupiers against the Ukrainian people, it is impossible to sit down at the negotiating table with their leader.

Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!