Dmytro Kuleba: Russia’s Current Escalation Largest in Recent Years

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba states that Ukraine and its partners observe Russia systemically aggravating the security situation in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and in Crimea while refusing to reaffirm its commitment to the ceasefire.

“Russia’s current escalation is systemic, the largest in recent years. Russia’s actions have brought the situation to deadlock, and diplomacy is the only way out. Moscow must cease escalating military tensions immediately and unconditionally reaffirm its commitment to political-diplomatic means of resolving the conflict and to the ceasefire,” the diplomat noted.

According to Kuleba, Ukraine, together with Germany and France as Normandy format mediators, make everything possible to encourage Russia to engage constructively in negotiations. Other partners of Ukraine, including the US, Canada, the UK and NATO, also support Russia’s continued engagement in negotiations.

“Whatever disinformation Russia may promote now, I would like to assure that Ukraine prioritises political-diplomatic means of resolving the conflict because peace and human lives are fundamental values to the Ukrainian state,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stressed.

Natalia Tolub