Kyiv, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s foreign minister said Monday that his government plans to hold a peace summit by the end of February, preferably at the U.N., with Secretary-General António Guterres as a possible mediator, around the anniversary of the meeting with Russia. war.
But Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told The Associated Press that Russia could only be invited to such a summit if the country first faced a war crimes tribunal.
Kuleba also said he was “absolutely satisfied” with the results of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the US last week and revealed that the US government has developed a special plan to prepare the Patriot missile battery to be operational in the country. . for over six months. Training usually lasts up to a year.
Kuleba said in the Foreign Ministry interview that Ukraine will do everything possible to win the war in 2023, adding that diplomacy always plays an important role.
“Every war ends diplomatically,” he said. “Every war ends as a result of actions taken on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.”
Kuleba said the Ukrainian government would like to hold a peace summit by the end of February.
“The United Nations might be the best place to hold this summit because it’s not about doing a favor to any particular country,” he said. “It’s about getting everyone involved.”
On December 12, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine plans to start a summit to implement the Ukrainian peace formula in 2023.
At the Group of 20 summit in Bali in November, Zelensky presented a 10-point peace formula that includes restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal responsible for aggression and security. guarantees for Ukraine.
Asked if they would invite Russia to the summit, he said Moscow should first be prosecuted for war crimes in an international tribunal.
“They can be invited to this step only in this way,” Kuleba said.
On Guterres’ role, Kuleba said: “He has proven to be an effective mediator and an effective negotiator and, above all, a man of principle and integrity. So we would appreciate your active participation.”
The foreign minister again downplayed comments by Russian authorities that they were ready for talks.
“They regularly say they are ready for negotiations, which they are not, because everything they do on the battlefield proves otherwise,” he said.
In comments broadcast on Russian state television on Sunday, Putin said his country was ready for talks to end the war in Ukraine, but suggested the Ukrainians had refused to take that step. Despite Putin’s comments, Moscow’s forces have continued to attack Ukraine, a sign that peace is not imminent.
Zelensky’s visit to the United States was his first trip abroad since the start of the war on February 24. Kuleba praised Washington’s efforts and emphasized the importance of the visit.
“This shows how important the United States of America is to Ukraine, but also how important Ukraine is to the United States,” said Kuleba, who was part of the delegation to the United States.
Ukraine secured a new $1.8 billion military aid package, including a battery of Patriot missiles, on its way.
Kuleba said the move “opens the door for other countries to do the same.”
He said the US government had developed a program for the missile battery to complete training faster than usual “without any deterioration in the quality of the use of this weapon on the battlefield”.
While Kuleba didn’t mention a specific time frame, he only said it would take “much less than six months.” And he added that the training would take place “outside” of Ukraine.
During Russia’s ground and air war in Ukraine, Kuleba was second only to Zelensky in conveying Ukraine’s message and needs to an international audience through tweets or meetings with friendly foreign officials.
Ukraine called on UN member states on Monday to strip Russia of its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and expel it from the world body. Kuleba said that “they have been preparing for a long time for this step of uncovering the fraud and depriving Russia of its status.”
The Foreign Office says Russia never went through the legal process to become a member and take the USSR’s place in the UN Security Council after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
“This is the beginning of a difficult battle, but we will fight, because nothing is impossible,” he told the AP.
Follow AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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