The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiha, stated that the Kremlin's conscious refusal to cease fire and engage in dialogue definitively identified Russia as the sole obstacle to ending the war. A year ago, Ukraine supported the United States' proposal for a cessation of hostilities to promote peace efforts, but Moscow responded to this gesture by intensifying terror. This is reported by UNN.
Details
Sybiha noted that the Russian leadership's calculation to break the spirit of Ukrainians through massive attacks proved to be erroneous. Instead of a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, Putin chose the path of exhausting his own resources, which led to colossal losses among the occupation contingent. The minister emphasized that Ukraine clearly demonstrated its readiness for peace, while Russia's actions only confirmed its desire for the complete destruction of the international legal order.
Russia rejected everything – a ceasefire, dialogue, and diplomacy. Instead, Putin bet on terror, trying to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people. A year later, Russia lost another half a million occupiers killed and wounded, but did not achieve any strategic goal of its aggression.
Coercion to peace through a policy of force
The Ukrainian side insists that the only way to force the Kremlin to return to negotiations is to increase military and economic pressure. Sybiha warned the international community against any steps that could weaken Russia's isolation, as this would only postpone the prospect of a just peace.
The bottom line is that pressure, and only pressure, can force Moscow to choose diplomacy instead of war. Any weakening of sanctions will be a step in the wrong direction. When it comes to Russia, the path to peace always lies through strength, not through weakness.