Against the backdrop of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, large-scale attacks on civilians, and the intensification of peace talks, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Olga Stefanishyna, in an interview with the American TV channel Fox 5 DC, outlined Kyiv's position on the peace process, territorial concessions, and Russia's actions aimed at demoralizing Ukrainian society.
This was reported by interview Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Olga Stefanishyna for the American TV channel Fox 5 DC.
According to Stefanishyna, the so-called "20-point plan", which has recently been increasingly discussed in the United States, is only part of a much broader process of achieving peace, which is impossible without clearly defined and real security guarantees.
“There was a clear understanding that the so-called ‘20-point plan’ is only one part of the process, which, of course, must be agreed with Russia. But there is a broader framework approach, in particular the issue of security guarantees,” she stressed.
The ambassador emphasized that a common vision has now been formed between Ukraine, the United States and European allies: security guarantees are an integral part of any potential peace agreement. It is on their finalization that diplomatic efforts have been focused over the past week.
As Stefanishyna noted, European partners have already declared their readiness to take on some of the responsibility, in particular, to provide a military presence to guarantee the ceasefire. At the same time, Russia, she said, is not demonstrating any real readiness to implement the agreements.
“We see that Russia is not demonstrating any steps or readiness to ensure agreements on the basis of this 20-point peace plan,” the diplomat noted.
Commenting on the internationally discussed idea of territorial concessions as a possible way to end the war, the Ambassador of Ukraine emphasized that for Kyiv such a scenario is unacceptable not only for political but also for historical reasons.
According to Stefanishina, Russian aggression is not limited to four years of full-scale war, but has much deeper roots.
“The history of my country is much longer than the existence of Moscow even as a capital, as a city. And this is not just a question of a four-year war. The annexation began more than 10 years ago. In addition, we were part of the Soviet Union and were under occupation for more than eight decades. Therefore, for Ukraine, the situation when we defend our country is much better than recognizing the return to what we tried to escape from,” she emphasized.
She also emphasized that the war was not a choice of Ukrainians, but became a forced response to aggression.
“This is not only Russia’s war against Ukraine. This is four years of the life of every Ukrainian, deprived of normal everyday life – like, for example, me and my family,” the Ambassador noted.
Stefanishyna separately drew attention to the fact that on the eve of a possible end to the war, the situation may escalate. According to her, Russia is increasingly using missile terror, including hypersonic weapons, to increase pressure on Ukraine.
“Russia is trying to demoralize the Ukrainian people and force them to agree to what they call the “plan” by escalating attacks and killing even more civilians,” the diplomat emphasized.
She added that these actions are taking place against the backdrop of difficult winter conditions, which only exacerbates the humanitarian challenges for Ukrainians, but does not change Ukraine’s position on protecting its statehood and the need for a just peace.
Photo: rbc.ua
Author: Inna Mikhno