The war of words between Russia and Ukraine escalates before the end of the year. Russia’s powerful foreign minister gives Ukraine an ultimatum, writes the Reuters news agency on Tuesday morning, among others. The demand is that Ukraine must give up the areas controlled by Russian forces. – The point is simple: It will be in their own best interest to fulfill the proposals. Otherwise, the matter will be decided by the Russian army, says the foreign minister. Lavrov’s move comes a day after President Putin reiterated that he is open to negotiations. – Not true that Russia will negotiate The reaction from Ukrainian leaders was spot on. – They regularly say that they are ready for negotiations, which is not true. Because everything they do on the battlefield proves the opposite, says Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. It is up to the regime in Kyiv to fulfill the Russian proposals, says Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. – Our proposals for the demilitarization and de-Nazification of the territories controlled by the regime, and the elimination of threats to Russia’s security emanating from them, including from our new territories, are well known to the enemy, says Lavrov. There has been intense fighting in Ukraine this winter. The photo is from Bakhmut on 16 December and shows Ukrainian forces firing artillery. Photo: Libkos / AP Ukraine has made progress on the battlefield this winter, partially pushing Russian forces out of the Kharkiv and Kherson regions. President Zelensky has repeated that the goal is to take back all areas that Russian forces have occupied, including the Crimean peninsula that Russia took control of in 2014. Both parties make demands that they know the other party will not accept. Kuleba: – We can win in 2023 Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says in an interview with the Associated Press news agency that Ukraine will do everything they can to win the war in 2023. Kuleba adds that diplomacy always plays an important role. – Every war ends in a diplomatic way, he says. Ukraine’s foreign minister says he believes the country can win the war in 2023. He wants a summit under UN auspices. Photo: Efrem Lukatsky / AP – Every war ends as a result of the actions taken on the battlefield and at the negotiating table, adds the foreign minister. Ukraine’s government aims to arrange a UN-sponsored summit by the end of February. Russia is unlikely to participate, writes the Associated Press. Kuleba says the government wants a so-called peace summit by the end of February. Want UN Summit – The UN can be the best arena to hold this summit, because this is not about serving a particular country. This is really about getting everyone involved, says Kuleba. Ukraine wants UN chief António Guterres as mediator. Photo: ANDREJ IVANOV / AFP When asked whether they will invite the invading power Russia to such a summit, Kuleba says that Russia will first have to be put on trial for war crimes. It is a process that usually takes a long time. Kuleba envisions UN Secretary-General António Guterres as a possible mediator in any future peace talks, writes NTB. At the same time, Kuleba downplays recent statements by the Russian authorities that they are ready for negotiations.
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– Accept our demands or the army decides – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
