Kyiv insists on Russian troop withdrawal as precondition for peace talks
Officials in Kyiv state that negotiations can only commence once Russian forces withdraw from Ukraine. Any mediating country must clearly understand who the victim is and who the aggressor is in this major conflict.
The Office of the President of Ukraine has indicated that peace proposals could be relayed to the Kremlin through intermediaries, said Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the Presidential Office, during a national news broadcast broadcast.
The adviser underscored that the only way to initiate talks is through the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territories. According to him, any ceasefire imposed by Russia is merely a tactic to regroup and launch the next phase of the conflict.
Podolyak referenced the similar approach used in negotiating the "grain deal."
He also asserted that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is not a suitable mediator.
Podolyak further elaborated that the Hungarian Prime Minister, who recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, is not fit to act as a mediator.
"A genuinely committed country would not publicly make banal statements. When a nation calls for 'an immediate ceasefire,' it shows they are not prepared for the mediating role. In major wars, this is a completely different type of work," Podolyak clarified.
Understanding who the victim and aggressor are in the conflict, as well as recognising which principles of international law have been breached, is imperative, Podolyak concluded.
On July 4th, Putin expressed readiness to end the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin believes that the basis for negotiations could be the 2022 Istanbul proposals.