Stoltenberg: Ukraine decides what conditions are acceptable for peace talks
Kyiv • UNN
NATO will continue to provide military support to Ukraine to strengthen its position in potential peace talks with Russia, as there is a close link between the situation on the battlefield and negotiating leverage, while respecting Ukraine's sovereignty to determine acceptable terms for peace talks.
It is up to Ukraine to decide what conditions are acceptable for peace talks. This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and added that the Allies will help Ukraine strengthen its position, because there is a very strong connection between what is happening at the negotiating table and the situation on the battlefield. He said this during a press conference, reports UNN.
Ukraine itself decides what conditions are acceptable for peace talks and any negotiated solution, because Ukraine is a sovereign independent state. What we will do as NATO Allies is to help Ukraine strengthen its position, because we know that there is a very strong link between what happens at the negotiating table and the situation on the battlefield. So, if we want to reach a negotiated solution, we have to provide Ukraine with military support, and that's exactly what NATO Allies are doing
Stoltenberg also emphasized that there are no signs that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate peace.
Because we saw his last proposal, and it was that Ukraine should give up all the territories in the four regions that he illegally annexed. That means that they should not only give up the territory that Russia controls today, but actually give up a lot of the territory that Ukraine controls today. And secondly, he also said, Ukraine also has to promise that they will give up the right, which every nation has to choose for itself, not to be a member of NATO
According to him, Ukraine needs some kind of security guarantees.
And, of course, this was also one of the reasons why Allies were so clear that Ukraine would become a NATO member
Addendum
Stoltenberg said that the most urgent task at the NATO summit in Washington next week will be to support Ukraine.