Ermak firmly stated that Russia will not be able to tie a new round of negotiations to the events of 2022
Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, reiterated Ukraine's unwavering position regarding current diplomatic efforts, expressing the conviction that Kremlin forces are attempting to drag Ukrainian-Russian negotiations into the framework of past events—2022. However, according to Yermak, their attempts remain unsuccessful and will have no influence on Ukrainian diplomacy. In his social media post on X (formerly Twitter), the head of the Office emphasized: “The Russians are trying to associate negotiations with 2022. But everything related to this is only the initiation of talks in Istanbul. And nothing more.” This statement underscores a complete disconnect in understanding and representing the context of current diplomatic initiatives. Yermak stressed that today's negotiation process is taking place in a completely different context, and Ukraine will not allow a return to the scenarios and narratives that dominated at the beginning of the full-scale war. His words reflect Ukraine’s firm stance on the inviolability of established principles and conditions in the pursuit of peace. The background of these events includes a series of important meetings in Istanbul held this week. On Friday, a negotiation session took place there with the participation of representatives from Turkey, the United States, and Ukraine, aiming to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. Additionally, negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations also took place at the same time, further highlighting the tense and complex nature of the negotiation process. A significant development was the statement by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who expressed the view that a peaceful resolution to the war initiated by Russia against Ukraine is impossible without his meeting with Vladimir Putin. Trump emphasized that without a personal meeting with the Russian president, it is virtually impossible to find peace in this war. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed skepticism regarding the results of the Ukrainian-Russian negotiations in Istanbul. He stated that most experts and diplomats approach the current agreements with considerable doubt, believing that the agenda involves highly complex and long-term processes requiring much more effort and time to achieve sustainable peace. Thus, Ukrainian diplomacy, led by Andriy Yermak, once again affirms its unwavering principles and rejects returning to conditions that previously ignored Ukraine’s interests. At the same time, the international community continues to monitor the situation closely and strives to find ways to achieve a just and long-awaited peace for Ukraine.