Russia-Ukraine Tension : Active diplomacy can still bring positive results to avert War – Dmytro Kuleba

Kyiv: 01 Feb 2022 – Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Mr. Dmytro Kuleba has made it clarified that Ukraine does not have any plan to stage a military attack in Donbas. It is Russian disinformation. Ukraine and its partners are making efforts to set up a comprehensive package of measures to deter the Russian Federation from further aggression against Ukraine. In addition to new economic sanctions and increased military support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, these measures include active diplomacy aimed at keeping Russia engaged in a dialogue.

He was briefing the foreign media about the update of Russian build up on the border and preparations of Ukraine to thwart Russian attack.

“We highly appreciate the diplomatic input of our partners, including the US, NATO and the EU, towards de-escalation of the situation and revival of political settlement of the armed conflict.” He said.

“Ukraine is particularly grateful to Germany and France for their leadership in convening the meeting of advisers to the leaders of the Normandy Format in Paris on 26 January 2022. The Ukrainian side was represented by Mr. Andriy Yermak, Chief of Staff of the President of Ukraine. Following eight hours of extensive negotiations, the parties were able to adopt, for the first time since 2019, a joint communique reiterating the need to fully observe the ceasefire in Donbas. Of equal importance is the agreement to convene another meeting of the advisors in Berlin in two weeks’ time.” FM continued.

Mr. Dmytro Kuleba stated that the international community must remain vigilant and firm in its negotiations with Moscow. Russia must pull back its forces amassed along Ukraine’s borders, in the temporarily occupied Crimea and parts of Donbas. Genuine withdrawal of Russian forces from the border areas will be an important step towards de-escalation of the situation.

He further maintained that “Although Russia has deployed a significant number of troops along the border, we do not possess clear indicators that Mr. Putin has made a decision to launch a new military operation against Ukraine. Active diplomacy can still bring positive results to avert the worst-case scenario. In this context, it is crucial to maintain focus on diplomatic engagement and refrain from steps that could fuel anxiety among the Ukrainian population and undermine financial stability of Ukraine.”

“While we recognize and fully respect the right of our partners to ensure the safety and security of their diplomatic missions in Ukraine, we are grateful to those who have not taken a decision to evacuate the family members of the staff. We continue to believe there are no reasons to take such a step at this stage.”

He said that the non-military dimension of Russian aggression has already caused significant harm to the Ukrainian economy. Massive disinformation and fake news in the media sow panic among Ukrainian citizens and business, throw markets into depression and devalue the national currency. In this regard, we highly appreciate the financial assistance provided to Ukraine by its partners to ensure economic and financial stability of our country, and we are exploring ways of additional support.

Foreign Minister answered the questions of the media.

He shared that “What is happening in Ukraine is not merely about Ukraine. The Russian aggression undermines the entire Euro-Atlantic security architecture. If Russia succeeds in promoting its plan in Ukraine, it will send to those also seeking to rewrite the existing rules of the international order an anticipated message that the coalition of the democratic states is unable to defend its own values. It will also encourage aggressive behavior in the relations among the states.”

“In order to prevent this catastrophe, the international partners must continue their steadfast support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and permit no compromises when responding to Russian destabilizing acts.” He emphasized.