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- Kuleba said he was 鈥渁bsolutely satisfied鈥� with the results of President Volodymyr Zelensky鈥檚 visit to the US last week, and he revealed that the US government had made a special plan to get the Patriot missile battery ready to be operational in Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine: Ukraine鈥檚 foreign minister said Monday that his nation wants a summit to end the war but he doesn鈥檛 anticipate Russia taking part, a statement making it hard to foresee the devastating invasion ending soon.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told The Associated Press that his government wants a 鈥減eace鈥� summit within two months at the United Nations with Secretary-General Ant贸nio Guterres as mediator.
Kuleba said that Russia must face a war-crimes tribunal before his country directly talks with Moscow. He said, however, that other nations should feel free to engage with Russians, as happened before a grain agreement between Turkiye and Russia.
The AP interview offered a glimpse at Ukraine鈥檚 vision of how the war with Russia could one day end, although any peace talks would be months away and highly contingent on complex international negotiations.
Kuleba also said he was 鈥渁bsolutely satisfied鈥� with the results of President Volodymyr Zelensky鈥檚 visit to the US last week, and he revealed that the US government had made a special plan to get the Patriot missile battery ready to be operational in the country in less than six months. Usually, the training takes up to a year.
Kuleba said during the interview at the Foreign Ministry that Ukraine will do whatever it can to win the war in 2023.
鈥淓very war ends in a diplomatic way,鈥� he said. 鈥淓very war ends as a result of the actions taken on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.鈥�
Commenting on Kuleba鈥檚 proposal, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the state RIA Novosti news agency that Russia 鈥渘ever followed conditions set by others. Only our own and common sense.鈥�
A Kremlin spokesman said last week that no Ukrainian peace plan can succeed without taking into account 鈥渢he realities of today that can鈥檛 be ignored鈥� 鈥� a reference to Moscow鈥檚 demand that Ukraine recognize Russia鈥檚 sovereignty over the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed in 2014, as well as other territorial gains.
Kuleba said the Ukrainian government would like to have the 鈥減eace鈥� summit by the end of February.
鈥淭he United Nations could be the best venue for holding this summit, because this is not about making a favor to a certain country,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is really about bringing everyone on board.鈥�
At the Group of 20 summit in Bali in November, Zelensky made a long-distance presentation of a 10-point peace formula that includes the restoration of Ukraine鈥檚 territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression and security guarantees for Ukraine.
Asked about whether Ukraine would invite Russia to the summit, he said that Moscow would first need to face prosecution for war crimes at an international court.
鈥淭hey can only be invited to this step in this way,鈥� Kuleba said.
About the UN Secretary-General鈥檚 role, Kuleba said: 鈥淗e has proven himself to be an efficient mediator and an efficient negotiator, and most importantly, as a man of principle and integrity. So we would welcome his active participation.鈥�
The UN spokesman鈥檚 office had no immediate comment.
Other world leaders have also offered to mediate, such as those in Turkiye and 萝莉视频.
The foreign minister again downplayed comments by Russian authorities that they are ready for talks.
鈥淭hey (Russians) regularly say that they are ready for negotiations, which is not true, because everything they do on the battlefield proves the opposite,鈥� he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed few days ago that his country is ready for talks to end the war in Ukraine, but suggested that the Ukrainians are the ones refusing to take that step. Despite Putin鈥檚 comments, Moscow鈥檚 forces have kept attacking Ukraine 鈥� a sign that peace isn鈥檛 imminent.
Zelensky鈥檚 visit to the US was his first foreign trip since the war started on Feb. 24. Kuleba praised Washington鈥檚 efforts and underlined the significance of the visit.
Ukraine secured a new $1.8 billion military aid package, including a Patriot missile battery, during the trip.
Kuleba said that the move 鈥渙pens the door for other countries to do the same.鈥�
He said that the US government developed a program for Ukrainian troops to complete training faster than usual 鈥渨ithout any damage to the quality of the use of this weapon on the battlefield.鈥�
While Kuleba didn鈥檛 mention a specific time frame, he said only that it will be 鈥渧ery much less than six months.鈥� And he added that the training will be done 鈥渙utside鈥� Ukraine.
During Russia鈥檚 ground and air war in Ukraine, Kuleba has been second only to Zelensky in carrying Ukraine鈥檚 message and needs to an international audience, whether through Twitter posts or meetings with friendly foreign officials.
On Monday, Ukraine called on UN member states to deprive Russia of its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and to exclude it from the world body. Kuleba said they have long 鈥減repared for this step to uncover the fraud and deprive Russia of its status.鈥�
The Foreign Ministry says that Russia never went through the legal procedure for acquiring membership and taking the place of the USSR at the UN Security Council after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
鈥淭his is the beginning of an uphill battle, but we will fight, because nothing is impossible,鈥� he told the AP.