Peace talks possible if Kiev ensures no threat from Ukraine: Nebenzia
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Russian Envoy to the UN Vassily Nebenzia reveals conditions for engagement in peace talks with Kiev.
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Russia's United Nations Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia at a press briefing at UN headquarters in New York on Feb. 28 (AFP)
Russian Envoy to the UN Vassily Nebenzia revealed on Friday Russia's readiness for peaceful talks on Ukraine, only if it ensures that no kind of threat will emerge from Ukrainian territories in the future.
“The goal is to ensure that no threat will emanate from Ukrainian territory for Russia, and the discrimination of the Russian-speaking population, and if this can be achieved through peaceful negotiations, we're ready to engage,” Nebenzia said during a UN Security Council session.
He warned that Moscow will achieve its goals through military means if peaceful negotiations are not on the table.
Read next: Republicans vow audit to track Biden's $20 bln Ukraine aid
On the other hand, the envoy highlighted that Ukraine is currently promoting its idea to organize a Peace Summit everywhere, but considers it an attempt to regain sympathy from the Western public.
"Ukraine now is running brandishing the idea of some sort of a peace summit suggesting anyway it can that it is Russia who wants war," Nebenzia told the Security Council members.
He added that this could be "merely an attempt" to win sympathy among the west, who he believes are increasingly questioning where the money to Kiev is going.
The comments surfaced as Russia called for a United Nations Security Council meeting to be held next week on the persecution of the opposition in Ukraine and the continued crackdown on the Orthodox Church.
"More recently, in addition to persecuting dissidents and leaders of the opposition we've seen an attempt to destroy the only canonical church in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," Nebenzia said.
"The consequences of such actions for regional peace and security could be very severe, which is why we believe that this situation deserves close scrutiny by the members of the Security Council in this connection."
US military packages to Ukraine
Till today, the US has sent over multiple multibillion-dollar military aid packages to Ukraine, with the most recent amounting to some $3 billion.
Republican lawmakers have repeatedly voted against additional Ukraine aid installments, instead favoring moves to remedy domestic matters, such as the US' federal debt and recession fears.
As part of concessions made by newly-elected House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in order to be elected House Speaker, recent reports suggested he agreed to cuts to defense spending.
His Right-wing opponents from the chamber's Freedom Caucus, nicknamed the “Taliban 20”, had justified their earlier vote against him by demonstrating their opposition to aid sent by the US to Ukraine.
McCarthy, an ally of and advocated by former president Donald Trump, promised to "pass bills to fix the nation's challenges, from the wide open southern border to 'America last' energy policies, to woke indoctrination in our schools."
Read next: McCarthy could influence end of Ukraine conflict: Russian official
