Sybiha: Russia must face pressure to negotiate with Ukraine
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on October 26 that Russia would not engage in serious peace talks while it believed it could force Ukraine to surrender, calling for increased pressure on Moscow to end the war.
Sybiha says pressure must target Russia
“Peace through strength is the only strategy that works. But that strength must be applied to the aggressor, not to the country defending itself,” Sybiha said in a statement published by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.
He said the war could not be ended by stopping Ukraine’s resistance, but only by ending Russian attacks.
Moscow signals willingness to resume trilateral talks
Sybiha’s remarks followed comments by Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said the United States had so far failed to put enough pressure on Ukraine to make it accept peace.
Ushakov said Washington had appeared capable of imposing its terms on Kyiv after the Alaska summit, but had not done so. He also argued that Europe as a whole should be involved in the discussions.
Ushakov said Russia was prepared to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine and the United States after November 4. However, he described a potential meeting as preliminary and said expectations for its outcome should remain limited.
Media reports have identified Abu Dhabi and Switzerland as possible venues for a new round of talks in the first half of November. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously mentioned Abu Dhabi as a possible location.
Washington signals progress towards a meeting
US House Speaker Mike Johnson said the Trump administration was close to holding a trilateral meeting.
Zelenskyy also confirmed on Sunday evening that Russian and Ukrainian representatives would meet in November under US mediation, seeking to revive peace negotiations that have been stalled since the beginning of the year.
The Ukrainian president said pressure on Kyiv continued to increase. He described restrictions on access to Starlink and delays in deliveries of Patriot air defence missiles as attempts to force Ukraine to capitulate.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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