Accepting Russia's ultimatums will give it a pause to replenish its forces - Kuleba

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said this in his speech at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Ukrinform reports, citing the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's press service.

Commenting on the latest speculation in the media about the peace process, he said that no other country in the world wants peace in Ukraine as much as Ukraine does, and the country never wanted this war at all.

"But we also know that accepting Russian ultimatums will not bring peace. Quite the opposite. Russia wants a pause to replenish its forces and launch an even more brutal attack as soon as it will be able to do so," Kuleba said.

He also noted that Kyiv has not heard and will not hear any constructive proposals from Russia, calling Russia's signal that they are allegedly ready for talks nothing else than a smokescreen for its continued aggression.

"Putin does not want any compromises right now. This is why President Zelensky clearly stressed: Russia must withdraw troops from the Ukrainian territory within internationally recognized borders. This will pave the wave for the peace process," he said.

"Those who think this will not happen because it cannot happen and so on - remember Kherson. It can happen. But we need to remain principled. This is a new 1938 moment for Europe and certainly not a time to seek 'Peace for our time.' We need real peace this time. Otherwise, all of our names will be put down in history books as appeasers who failed to prevent a catastrophe," Kuleba said.

Photo credit: Ukrainian Foreign Ministry