US State Department: Putin's demands defy common sense
Kyiv • UNN
Russian President Vladimir Putin's "conditions for ending the war" in Ukraine, including demands for Ukraine's disarmament, are contrary to common sense, the UN Charter and basic morality, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
The "conditions" voiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 14, in particular the demand for Ukraine's disarmament, contradict common sense and the UN Charter. This was stated by US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller during a briefing on June 17, UNN reports.
The State Department spokesperson referred to the Peace Summit, which was joined by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris "to discuss a principled framework for peace in Ukraine". "Participants reaffirmed their support for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. They discussed vital cooperation on global food security, nuclear safety, and catastrophic humanitarian impacts of the war," Miller said.
In Moscow, President Putin had a different message: another maximalist statement that called on Ukraine to surrender even more of its sovereign territory than what Russia currently occupies before negotiations could even begin. President Putin demanded Ukraine agree to disarm so that it is vulnerable to future aggression from Russia. No responsible nation can say that this is a reasonable basis for peace. It defies the UN Charter. It defies basic morality. It defies basic common sense. It is clear Russia is unprepared for any serious, good-faith discussions. Russia’s actions make this especially clear as it continues its bombing campaigns against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, threatens ships in the Black Sea, and forcibly relocates tens of thousands of Ukrainian children
When asked to comment on the fact that not all participating countries signed the summit's final communiqué, the State Department spokesperson said that he believed the number of participants and signatories was significant.
"Every country has to speak for itself and every country has to decide for itself. But if you look at the support that Ukraine got, you had over 90 countries that attended this peace summit. You had over 80 countries and international organizations that signed on to the final communique. We think both of those numbers represent a very significant show of support for Ukraine, and for not just peace but a just and lasting peace, something that we have always made clear is important. And we’re going to continue to work to make sure Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself now, but we are going to continue to work to try to secure a just and lasting peace. And we welcome the support from dozens and dozens of other countries around the world in that regard," he emphasized.
