Russia will have to end war anyway, but on worse terms – Ukraine's foreign minister
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said that by refusing direct negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has lost his chance to exit a failing war, and that Russia will later be forced to accept a diplomatic settlement on significantly worse terms.
Source: Sybiha on X
Quote: "No good news for the Russians. By refusing President Zelenskyy's offer for direct peace talks, Putin lost his chance to get out of his failed war.
Things will only get worse for Russia. Battlefield losses will continue to grow. Failures will get more humiliating. The economy will plunge deeper into recession. More jobs will be lost, taxes will be growing, and inflation will hit those most vulnerable.
There are already no safe places in Russia that can be exempt from Ukraine's long-range sanctions. But their intensity will continue to grow. The international pressure will not ease. It will only get stronger. Including the use of frozen assets, travel bans, and inevitable accountability for crimes."
Details: Sybiha stressed that Putin will never achieve his goals on the battlefield and "he better abandon his delusional hopes of Ukraine collapsing soon, support from its partners waning, or pressure on Russia easing."
Quote: "Russia will still have to accept a diplomatic solution but the terms will be far worse.
Putin's refusal of peace should lead to a significant increase in international pressure on Russia and support for Ukraine."
Background:
- In an open letter dated 4 June, Zelenskyy proposed that Putin agree on a date and meet in person to discuss ending the war. He also called for Europe and the US to be involved in Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
- Putin said he had reviewed the letter but "sees no point" in holding such a meeting.
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