Ukrainian Foreign Minister Outlines Kyiv’s Red Lines in Peace Talks

Foreign Minister of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha has said that as part of a peaceful settlement, Russia should not be given the right to block Ukraine's membership in NATO.

The Gaze reports on this with reference to a statement made by the Ukrainian Foreign Minister during a speech in the Ukrainian parliament.

Sybiha said that Ukraine would not accept ‘peace at any price’ and named red lines in peace talks that ‘remain clear and unchanged’.

‘Firstly, we will not accept the recognition of any temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine as Russian,’ he said.

Also, he said, Ukraine will not limit the structure or size of its army, reduce the defence industry, military assistance from allies, or the presence of their contingents.

‘Thirdly, we will not accept any restrictions on Ukraine's sovereignty, our domestic and foreign policy, in particular, on the choice of alliances and alliances we seek to join,’ the Foreign Minister stressed.

According to him, despite the fact that there is currently no consensus among the allies on Ukraine's membership in NATO, Kyiv will continue to ‘actively work to achieve it’.

‘However, Russia or any other country does not and will not have the right to veto our choice,’ Sybiha added.

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has been trying to force the ‘peace process’ between Ukraine and Russia and, according to media reports, has prepared a ‘final proposal’ for a peaceful settlement.

Among other things, the US is ready to recognise Russia's control over Ukrainian Crimea and ease sanctions against Moscow.

Later, Reuters got acquainted with the text of the proposals to end Russia's war against Ukraine, which were handed over to the US side by Ukrainian and European officials at the talks in London.