AI Generated Image
Ukraine negotiator: 'We have the upper hand'
NPR • • nation
Key Points:
- Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.N. since Russia's 2022 invasion, has been a key negotiator in peace talks, uniquely engaging directly with Russian diplomats despite severed diplomatic ties.
- Ukraine's current stance is to freeze fighting along the existing frontline without recognizing Russian-occupied territories as Russian, rejecting Russia's "3+2" proposal demanding recognition of five Ukrainian regions under Russian control.
- Kyslytsya highlights Ukraine's military advantage, noting successful long-range drone strikes on Russian fuel infrastructure and the stagnation of Russian advances on the battlefield.
- Despite stalled official negotiations, dialogue continues with U.S. and occasionally Russian envoys, and Kyslytsya believes a face-to-face meeting between Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin could happen later this year, potentially leading to a major breakthrough.
- Kyslytsya asserts that the war's continuation depends solely on Putin, who may be compelled to negotiate as Ukraine's military pressure mounts and Ukraine gains the upper hand.
