Ukraine declares it will only negotiate with Russia after winning on the front

In an interview with NHK television channel, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba asserted that one should not expect peace talks between Kiev and Moscow in the near future.

“I don’t think that negotiations with Russia will start in the near future,” Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said, noting that one of the keys to negotiations is Ukraine’s success in the military sphere.

In response to criticism of the slow counterattack speed of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Foreign Minister Kuleba called for “respect for the Ukrainian soldiers who sacrificed their lives to move forward.”

Earlier, on August 30, in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, senior advisor to the Ukrainian President, Mr. Mikhail Podolyak, also affirmed that negotiations with Russia were completely impossible. Mr. Podolyak also said that Moscow “continues to deceive itself” that it can keep the territories it has won from Kiev.

The Russian government has repeatedly stated its readiness to seek a peaceful settlement of the conflict through negotiations with Ukraine. However, Moscow has also pointed out that the refusal of Kiev and the West to engage in a diplomatic process leaves Russia with no other choice but to continue its actions to achieve the goals of its special military operation in Ukraine.

The official spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova noted that the obstacle on the way to negotiations is Kiev's inability to negotiate directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Because none other than Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky himself signed a decree prohibiting negotiations with Mr. Putin.