Ukraine and Europe should not be excluded from future peace talks on the war in Ukraine, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said, UNN reports citing Reuters.
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"Nothing can be discussed about Ukraine without Ukraine or Europe without Europe," Sibiga said in an interview with Le Monde published on Thursday.
Sibiga said that Ukraine's membership in NATO remains the cheapest way for the transatlantic alliance to guarantee the country's own security, and there should be no compromises that would harm Ukraine's territorial integrity or sovereignty.
"We want full agreement. It is in the interest of the United States. With Trump's leadership, with a strong European commitment and European unity, we have a chance to give a new impetus to this process. But, as far as I know, our American allies have not yet finalized their plans," Sibiga said.
The statement comes after US President Donald Trump spoke directly with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
Putin and Trump spoke on the phone for more than an hour on Wednesday. Later, Trump announced the start of talks and said that it was inappropriate for Ukraine to join NATO, which Ukraine had sought as a guarantee of its future security, the newspaper said.
"All our allies have stated that Ukraine's path to NATO is irreversible. This perspective is enshrined in our constitution. It is in our strategic interests," Sibiga said.
Trump's move has shocked European capitals, which insist on playing a central role in peace talks, as any settlement in Ukraine, which suffered from a full-scale Russian invasion that began almost three years ago, will have implications for their own security, the newspaper notes.