Ukraine: "Never refused talks with Russia... Will meet with Putin's successor"

"Putin Has No Plans to Withdraw from Ukraine"
US-Supplied 'NASAMS' Arrives in Ukraine... Offensive Strengthened

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Ukrainian government has stated that it is willing to negotiate with Russia but cannot negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin and will instead engage in talks with his successor. This reaffirms their stance of absolutely refusing to negotiate with the Putin regime, which directly ordered the invasion of Ukraine, amid reports that the U.S. government has advised keeping the possibility of negotiations with Russia open.

According to AFP on the 7th (local time), Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the Ukrainian president, said on Twitter that "Ukraine has never refused negotiations with Russia, and as everyone knows, negotiations are always open," adding, "However, we will not negotiate with President Putin, but we are willing to talk with the future leader who will succeed him."

Advisor Podolyak further emphasized, "For talks to happen, Russia must first withdraw its troops from Ukraine," and "Since it is clear that President Putin has no such intention, we have assessed that negotiating with Russia's next leaders would be constructive."

Podolyak's remarks came after the U.S. government advised Ukraine to take a more proactive approach toward negotiations with Russia. According to the Washington Post (WP), the Biden administration recommended that Ukrainian leaders keep the possibility of negotiations with the Putin regime open, also expressing concerns that war fatigue from the prolonged conflict is worsening public support for U.S. and allied aid to Ukraine.

However, the Ukrainian government maintains its position that talks with the Putin regime are impossible while Russian offensives continue. Russia and Ukraine are confronting each other in the southern Kherson region, preparing for large-scale offensives, and Russian forces are preparing for urban warfare to delay the Ukrainian army's advance, Podolyak noted.

Meanwhile, Ukraine plans to further strengthen its offensive against Russian forces with the arrival of the long-range surface-to-air missile system 'NASAMS,' provided by the United States. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced on his Telegram channel that "NASAMS has been delivered to Ukraine for the first time," adding, "We will continue to shoot down enemy targets." NASAMS is an air defense weapon with a range of 30km to 50km, known not only for Western support but also for its ability to freely use domestically modified air-to-air missiles.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.