Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Thursday said Ukraine and Europe should not be excluded from future peace talks on the Ukraine war.
Sybiha said European leaders were scrambling to get a seat at the table in Ukraine peace talks after US President Donald Trump spoke directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin and announced the start of negotiations.
“Nothing can be discussed in Ukraine without Ukraine or in Europe without Europe,” Sybiha said.
According to him, Ukrainian membership in NATO remained the cheapest way for the transatlantic alliance to guarantee the country’s own security, stating that there should be no compromise that harmed the territorial integrity or sovereignty of Ukraine.
“We want a complete accord. It is in the interests of the United States. With the Trump leadership, with a strong European commitment and European unity, we have a chance to give fresh impetus to this process. But as far as I am aware, our American allies have not yet finalised their plans,” he added.
Media Talk Africa reports that Putin and Trump spoke by phone for more than an hour on Wednesday.
Trump later announced the start of negotiations and said it was not practical for Ukraine to get NATO membership, something Kyiv has been seeking as a guarantee of its future security.
The move has sent shockwaves through European capitals, which insist on a central role in peace talks.
