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UKRAINE AND RUSSIA made no progress towards agreeing a ceasefire after the Russian invasion at tense talks in Turkey, the Ukrainian foreign minister said today.
“We also talked on the ceasefire, a 24-hour ceasefire, but no progress was accomplished on that,” Dmytro Kuleba told reporters after his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Antalya.
“It seems that there are other decision-makers for this matter in Russia,” Kuleba said, in apparent reference to the Kremlin.
He also repeated his vow that the country will not give in, saying “I want to repeat that Ukraine has not surrendered, does not surrender, and will not surrender.”
He described the meeting as “difficult”, accusing his counterpart of bringing “traditional narratives” about Ukraine to the table.
Kuleba said he wanted to emerge from the meeting with an agreement on a humanitarian corridor from the besieged city of Mariupol but “unfortunately Minister Lavrov was not in a position to commit to it”.
Kuleba said Lavrov “will correspond with respective authorities on this issue.”
He added that he would be ready to meet with Lavrov “again in this format if there are prospects or a substantial discussion and for seeking solutions.”
But he emphasised: “We are ready for diplomacy, we seek diplomatic decisions but as long as there are none, we go with dedication, sacrificing ourselves, to defend our lands, our people, in the face of Russian aggression.”
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Fully agree with Kuleba, open to talks, but no surrender. Good man.
I would surrender
@Johannes Baader: with a face like that I can see why.
@LUCY Thomas: beautiful
@LUCY Thomas: the decision to surrender is the best atm. innocent people are dying and the whole country is going to be gravel very soon. Ukrainians should let go of their ego. Actually why don’t u go and fight for Ukraine if u don’t want for them to surrender.
@Johannes Baader: I hear the FSB are offering $500 for russian internet trolling…
@Stephen Murphy: — Your cashflow must be taking a hit with the state of the Rouble.
@Stephen Murphy: During WWII, Hitler hoped the same & thank god brave people fought off that Tyrant. Stop defending Russia!
@Stephen Murphy: Stop blaming the victim. Please explain how ego and the desire to defend yourself are connected?
@Dave Butler: he is not defending himself, he is not at the ground fighting. Other people are fighting and dying.
Here’s an idea – why don’t the two men who’s egos are more important than the lives of innocents, lock themselves in a room with assault rifles and let them work it between them.
@Ann Reddin: Or without any weapons and restrained from any possibility of physical confrontation and sort it out or never leave the room.
@Colin Conlan: I’d settle for that, but given neither of them have any problem sacrificing the lives of young men and women or killing innocents all because they are led by their egos, I’d have no problem with one or both, leaving the room in a wooden box.
have your say