Sergiy Melnyk, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN, said that Ukraine refuses to accept any ultimatums regarding Donbas. According to him, not a single millimetre of Ukrainian land will be given away, and citizens will remain under the protection of the state.
Statement of Ukraine to the UN
Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Sergey Melnik issued a statement in response to the Russia's conditions regarding the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas. He stressed that Ukraine would not leave any part of its territory and would not accept ultimatums.
Melnyk stressed that Ukraine will not leave any citizen without protection. His words came amid ongoing diplomatic discussions about the possibility of peace talks with Russia.
Reaction to Russian conditions
Ukraine responded to Russia's proposals, which included the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas as a condition for the start of negotiations. Melnyk made it clear that Kyiv does not accept such demands and does not consider concessions on the territorial issue.
According to the Permanent Representative, the territorial integrity of Ukraine remains the unchanged position of official Kyiv. Similar rhetoric from the Ukrainian side has been repeatedly voiced on international platforms.
Context of the statement
Melnyk's statement came amidst constant calls from the international community for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. However, the Ukrainian delegation has consistently rejected any conditions that involve the loss of territory or citizens.
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