If Kiev is really ready for a peace plan, it should consider the initiative proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, said on Thursday.
"If he [Volodymyr Zelensky] is truly ready to talk about peace, he has before him the peace proposals put forward by the Russian president a month ago. We advise him to hurry, as Ukraine will definitely not get anything better. And under no circumstances will they receive a battlefield respite in the form of a preliminary ceasefire," Nebenzia said at a UN Security Council meeting.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Wednesday in a conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that Ukraine is ready for negotiations with Russia. However, earlier, Kiev legislatively banned negotiations and ignored Moscow's statements about readiness for dialogue. Nebenzia noted on Thursday that such statements from Kiev were made due to the "catastrophic" situation of their troops. He added that Russia has many questions, and without answers, it is impossible to assess the essence of the "modified" Ukrainian position.
Nebenzia stated that while the Kiev regime is still considering its options, the Russian special military operation in Ukraine continues and will achieve its goals, whether through military action or negotiations.
Nebenzia noted that Western instructors and mercenaries in Ukraine are legitimate targets for Russia.
"Given the total unwillingness of Ukrainians to fight and die for Western geopolitical interests, the US and its allies are being forced to increasingly involve themselves in the conflict by sending not only mercenaries but also instructors. They, of course, become legitimate targets for the Russian Aerospace Forces," the Russian representative said.
However, he emphasized that Kiev's purported readiness for negotiations aligns with Russia's position that a diplomatic path is the preferred solution.
"I will say right away in this regard that Kiev’s purported willingness to engage in negotiations as such is in line with our position that the diplomatic path is the preferable way to resolve the Ukrainian conflict," Nebenzia said during a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
He stressed that Russia "has never refused negotiations; it was Zelensky and his clique who, under the instigation of their Western sponsors, rejected them."
Meanwhile, Nebenzia noted that Russia requests that UN Security Council members clarify the details of Kiev's "realization" regarding conflict resolution, possibly indicating no real change.
"Colleagues, before emissaries come to us asking to assess a possible change in the rhetoric of the 'expired' leader of the Kiev regime, who is failing on the front, we would strongly request you to clarify the details of his 'realization.' Perhaps, in reality, nothing has changed in his assessments," the Russian diplomat said at the UN Security Council meeting.
Moscow has repeatedly stated its readiness for negotiations, but Kiev has legislatively banned them. The West ignores Kiev's constant refusals to engage in dialogue. As stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the situation in Ukraine could move toward a peaceful resolution if the de facto situation and new realities are taken into account; all of Moscow's demands are well known.