Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to the President, stressed that recent international conferences on Energy Security were held without Russian participation in spite of claims of bilateral negotiations.
According to an interview broadcast by Ukraine‘s national television, Andriy Yerimak, the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, has rejected recent media reports regarding alleged negotiations between Ukraine & Russia regarding mutual cessation energy infrastructure strikes.
This was in response to The Financial Times’ claims, which cited informed sources regarding such preliminary talks. The issue of stopping the attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure for energy is a crucial one as winter approaches and Ukraine faces severe energy shortages because of Russian strikes. Ukraine also strikes back at Russia, but it targets military installations and logistic hubs in an attempt to disrupt supply chains that support Russia’s military activities.
Yermak said that Ukraine’s engagement in international affairs has been centered on multilateral conferences on specific themes, such as the one on energy security, which was co-organized by Qatar. He emphasized that these conferences were held without Russian participation.
Yermak said in an interview that “these are supposedly Ukraine-Russian negotiations – this cannot be true.”
He said that although third countries were welcome to implement separate arrangements with both Ukraine as well as Russia based upon established principles, such arrangements do not exist at the moment.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, had suggested earlier that a mutual cessation by Ukraine and Russia of airstrikes against energy infrastructure could signal readiness for talks and possibly end the active phase of war. He said that Russia’s willingness for negotiations could be influenced by the upcoming US Presidential election. Zelenskyy said that, even though the energy infrastructure has been severely damaged, securing a mutual energy security can be a step towards de-escalation.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, also denied media reports that Russia was negotiating with Ukraine in order to stop attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
Ukraine wants its entire territory back
Yermak, in addressing broader peace prospects said that while a diplomatic settlement remains possible, it must extend beyond the positions of 24 February 2022 to prevent a repeat threat of Russian aggression.
“This diplomatic pathway cannot begin from the line of February 24, 2022. This would be unfair and wrong. This would be against international law.
According to Yermak the ultimate goal of Ukraine is to restore all its territories and people. There are many ways to achieve this.
Zelenskyy also made it clear that Ukraine would not accept any compromises involving the ceding of territory to Russia. His administration insists that all Russian forces be withdrawn from all Ukrainian territories currently under occupation. This includes Crimea, as well as parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, and Zaporizhzhia.
Russia’s goal is to consolidate its control over occupied territory while promoting a narrative that legitimizes its actions.
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