Ukraine Demands a Specific Response from Russia Regarding Its Vision for Ending the War
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha made a high-profile statement on Tuesday, emphasizing that Moscow has still not sent an official reply to Kyiv’s document outlining Ukraine’s vision for ending the war. According to him, this situation is very concerning and indicates Russia’s unwillingness to engage in any substantive dialogue, whatever form it may take. As reported by the minister in his posts on X (formerly Twitter), the Ukrainian delegation sent an officially formulated document with Kyiv’s position to the Russian side ahead of the next diplomatic meeting. However, the Russians remained silent in response or simply ignored the request. Consequently, during direct negotiations, Ukrainian representatives demanded explanations from the Russians regarding their thoughts on Ukraine’s proposals, but received complete silence: neither during the meeting nor afterward did the Russians provide any response. “We firmly state: we demand a concrete reply from the Russian Federation, as each day of silence on their part confirms their interest in prolonging this war,” the diplomat emphasized. According to him, the lack of response from Russia is not only a sign of inflexibility but also an indication that Moscow does not want to engage in constructive dialogue; its goal remains to prolong the conflict and maintain the status quo. Furthermore, Sybiha noted that instead of concrete and realistic proposals—which Ukraine expected from the Russian delegation—Moscow has presented a set of ultimatums that, in Kyiv’s view, do not bring us closer to genuine peace and do not facilitate its achievement. This raises doubts about Russia’s sincerity, as previously promised, including during negotiations in Istanbul, Moscow pledged to propose something “realistic and feasible” for halting the fire. “Unfortunately, Russia continues to reject any constructive and realistic formats for ending the war. Based on this,” the minister stressed, “our international partners should seriously consider the possibility of imposing new sanctions on Moscow now, to incentivize more responsible actions.” According to Andrii Sybiha, the main goal of Ukraine is to put an end to the killings and destruction committed by Russian forces. “If the current negotiations do not produce the desired results and do not advance toward peace, it becomes clear that it is necessary to initiate a meeting of country leaders—perhaps at the highest level. In this context, we call on the international community to intensify pressure on Moscow and resort to new targeted steps in supporting Ukraine’s fight for freedom and independence.” Overall, the situation remains tense. While Russia stays silent, the world continues to monitor developments and calls for the pursuit of a just and realistic peace. The Ukrainian government is confident that diplomatic efforts are not yet exhausted, and that diplomacy and action must become key tools to end the conflict and establish justice. One of the main tasks is to convey to Russia that prolonged silence and ignoring Ukrainian proposals are nothing but manifestations of their unwillingness to pursue peace and readiness to make any concessions. Therefore, Kyiv appeals to the world to not remain on the sidelines and to help accelerate the process of finding a compromise.