Although the port city of Mariupol, which had been the subject of fierce fighting until recently, is now finally in the hands of the Russian army, the Ukrainian president is still convinced of the victory. According to Volodymyr Zelensky, the Russian armed forces could have been badly damaged. According to the president, Ukraine has even “broken the backbone of the Russian army”.
“They won’t be able to get back on their feet for years to come,” the 44-year-old said in a television interview that aired Saturday. Zelenskyy stressed that Kiev will take everything back. A return to the front lines before February 24 – the day the Russian war of aggression began – will already count as a victory. “It will mean that they have not conquered us and that we have defended our country,” said the head of state. But it will be very difficult to get there. Ultimately, there is diplomacy.
Ask for “fair” negotiations
According to Zelenskyj, the war in Ukraine can ultimately only be ended through diplomacy. The war will “be bloody, there will be fierce fighting, but it will only end definitively through diplomacy,” the head of state told Ukrainian television channel ICTV on Saturday. “There are things that we can only achieve at the negotiating table.” The results of the negotiations must be “just” for Ukraine.
According to Zelenskyy, there should be a document on security guarantees for Ukraine, signed “by the friends and partners of Ukraine, excluding Russia”. At the same time, “a bilateral consultation with Russia” should take place.
Peace talks suspended
Since the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine in late February, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators initially met regularly to negotiate or discuss a solution to the conflict via videoconference. According to Russian news agencies, the last meeting of the two countries’ chief negotiators took place on April 22 – a month ago.
Russia blames Ukraine for the deadlock. “Talks are indeed not progressing and we note that Ukrainian negotiators have a complete lack of will to continue this process,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow on Wednesday.
Italy plans to end conflict
According to the foreign minister, Italy has now developed a plan for a peace solution in the Ukraine war. “We now need a diplomatic counter-offensive,” Luigi Di Maio said in an interview with La Stampa newspaper (Saturday). The 35-year-old criticized that only individual states are currently trying to mediate. Now they want all relevant international organizations to work together.
A first goal is to achieve local pauses in the struggle, followed by a ceasefire, work towards neutrality and finally a peace agreement. Di Maio, however, was somewhat pessimistic about the current situation in the negotiations with Russia: “I don’t want to come across as a doomsayer, but I don’t see any negotiation at any table,” he said. “Individual actions will not convince Vladimir Putin to negotiate.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
