Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has said his country is aiming to hold peace talks by the end of February – around the anniversary of the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
He added that this would likely be at the United Nations, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a possible mediator.
Kuleba emphasized that he is “absolutely satisfied” with the results of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the US last week.
The Foreign Minister said that diplomacy will play an important role in ending the conflict in Ukraine.
“Every war ends as a result of actions taken on the battlefield and at the negotiating table,” he was quoted as saying.
“The United Nations can be the best place to hold this summit, because this is not about favoring a certain country.”
“It’s really about bringing everyone to the table.”
Before Russia could join the talks, Kuleba said the Kremlin must first be tried for war crimes in an international court.
He also downplayed comments from Moscow that Russia is ready for negotiations, adding: “They regularly say they are ready for negotiations, which is not true, because everything they do on the battlefield proves otherwise.”
In recent days, Vladimir Putin has claimed that he is ready to negotiate, but that Ukraine is not ready for something like that.