2023-08-18 22:35:36
According to the Ukrainian leadership, it is making progress in its quest for Western security guarantees against future Russian aggression. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of a “diplomatic success” in his video message distributed in Kiev on Friday evening. In the meantime, 18 states have joined the declaration of the group of seven leading industrial nations (G7) on such security guarantees. He did not give details.
Ahead of Independence Day next Thursday (24 August), Zelenskyy said Ukraine has taken a step forward to become part of the strongest states in the world. The war-ravaged country has been defending itself, with help from the West, for almost 18 months against the Russian war of aggression that began on February 24, 2022. By Independence Day, the war will have lasted exactly a year and a half to the day.
The head of the presidency in Kiev, Andriy Yermak, informed the Telegram news channel that negotiations for security guarantees are underway with the United States and Great Britain. Accordingly, talks with other G7 countries should soon begin. The first bilateral agreements should be signed by the end of the year, he said. It is about not allowing a new war and a repetition of Moscow’s aggression after the end of the Russian invasion.
Zelenskyj and Yermak emphasized on Friday that work on the “peace formula” was continuing. A core goal is the withdrawal of Russian troops before the start of possible negotiations. Russia rejects this as unrealistic. According to Zelenskyj, 63 diplomatic missions are now working on his “peace formula”. The number of participating ambassadors from different countries is increasing, Yermak said. He expects the national security advisers to meet again within a month to prepare for a peace summit.
According to earlier statements by Yermak, the summit should be organized by the end of the year. A location is now also being sought, he said earlier this month after a meeting in Saudi Arabia of advisors from more than 40 countries. At a second summit, Russia should also be involved. According to the president’s office in Kiev, it hopes that Russia will have capitulated by then.
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