ANKARA – A United Nations-brokered peace summit to end the war in Ukraine is expected to be held in New York on February 24, said Ukraine’s ambassador to Türkiye.
“We believe that most probably it will take place in New York within the UN on the 24th of February,” Vasyl Bodnar told Anadolu Agency when asked about the peace summit announced by the Kyiv administration, which is expected to be mediated by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
On reports that Russia will not take part in the summit, Bodnar said: “How could you invite the country which wouldn’t like to have peace for the peace conference?”
First of all, he said, it is “unnatural, and secondly, (it is) a brutal slap to the whole idea, because Russia is the country which breaks the peace and they would like to continue the war with the occupation of Ukrainian territory.”
Pointing out that there is hope for peace in the region, he said this can only be achieved by pushing Russia out of Ukrainian territory and the “world should pressure Russia to stop its military activities”.
Emphasising the importance of restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity, Bodnar said “this is a war for liberation and independence”.
“For us, this war is a war for survival, a war for independence and a war for sovereignty,” he said, adding Ukraine is defending itself according to international law.
According to Anadolu Agency, Bodnar also said that Ukraine is “thinking about the future settlement of the whole situation in our region”, and for this reason, he said: “We need peace, and we propose the formula.”
He recalled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 10 conditions for peace, which were laid out at the G20 summit last November, which include nuclear security, food security, energy security, and the withdrawal of Russian forces.
Bodnar also expressed appreciation for Türkiye’s support for Ukraine’s peace plan, adding “I am very grateful to (Turkish Foreign) Minister (Mevlut) Cavusoglu, who yesterday officially announced that Türkiye is supporting the Ukrainian peace plan and (that) it is ready to join in its implementation.” – Bernama, January 13, 2023
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