"The position has not changed": Sybiha talks about Russia's ultimatum for Ukraine's surrender and how to force the enemy to negotiate

At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia set conditions for Ukraine to end the war, which were in fact an ultimatum for our surrender. Currently, the position of the aggressor country remains unchanged.

This was stated by Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in an interview with Lb.ua. He emphasized that Ukraine is the country among all the countries of the world that is most eager for peace, unlike Russia.

"I remember well the first hours and days of the full-scale Russian invasion. The conditions that were put forward to Ukraine. They were not conditions, they were an ultimatum of surrender. And this has not changed," Sybiha said.

He noted that it is now important to focus on how to increase the cost of further aggression for Russia and force it to the negotiating table.

"Each of these issues has a clear set of elements on how to achieve this. From inviting Ukraine to join NATO, to a deterrence package, to lifting all taboos on the use of weapons. I mean long-range weapons. And, of course, sustainability in all its manifestations. Economic, long-term social, humanitarian, macro-financial support," the minister said.

According to him, all these factors make up a comprehensive negotiating position based on our national interests. The Minister also emphasized that the battlefield directly affects Ukraine's position in the diplomatic and foreign policy spheres.

"We have a goal – to achieve a comprehensive, sustainable, just peace for Ukraine. And this terminology is indivisible. It is very important. It defines our position because there are no negotiations now. And it is, accordingly, communicated to our partners. There is a battlefield that affects our positions – diplomatic and foreign policy, and there is a diplomatic track. These two areas are complementary and mutually reinforcing," the Foreign Minister said.

At the same time, the task of the diplomatic service is to provide convincing arguments to key capitals with which we have common approaches in order to strengthen our position.

"I believe we have a clear understanding: "Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine." This is unequivocal. No compromises on the territorial integrity, sovereignty, or security of Ukraine. This is also clearly shared by everyone," Sybiha added.

Earlier, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andrii Yermak, said that Ukraine is not ready to start negotiations with the aggressor state Russia to end the war. It needs to receive more weapons from partners, as well as an invitation to join NATO and clear security guarantees.

As a reminder, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Ukrainians are pinning their hopes on the future US President Donald Trump because he has repeatedly said that he can end the war in Ukraine. His former (and future) adviser Keith Kellogg summarized the position in three words, "peace through strength."

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!