On Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister (FM) Mikhail Galuzin reiterated that Russia is ready to “achieve the goals of the special military operation in Ukraine — protecting the residents of Donbas, Ukraine’s demilitarisation and denazification — by political and diplomatic means.”
However, in an interview with Russian state-owned news outlet TASS, Galuzin noted that efforts to end the conflict are being hampered by “the Kyiv regime’s absolutely unconstructive stance on this issue which, instigated by the West, openly declared its course toward Russia’s military defeat ‘on the battlefield.’”
Talks Necessary Between US and Russia, not Ukraine
During a special session on Ukraine at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzia affirmed that talks to resolve the Ukraine conflict should now be held between Russia and the collective West, instead of solely Ukraine, and especially “with Washington, which is behind the Kyiv regime.”
“We are ready to seek a serious and long-term diplomatic solution to this crisis and have repeatedly stated this,” he added. Nonetheless, he noted that “our opponents have not yet gotten over their futile illusions of defeating a nuclear power,” which is why Russia had to take military action against Ukraine last year.
West’s Peace Plan Dependent on Russia’s Capitulation
Nebenzia pointed out that any peace plan introduced by Ukraine or by the West is solely dependent on Russia’s “capitulation.”
#Nebenzia: The #West that used to tell us reassuring tales about some sort of partnership & cooperation now has shown us its true face. With all proprieties cast aside, they set a goal to arm #Ukraine & ensure a strategic defeat of #Russia, dismember & ruin our country. pic.twitter.com/fXy0qoQGNc
— Russia at the United Nations (@RussiaUN) February 23, 2023
He further stated that the Western coalition was not only “ready to sacrifice Ukraine, but also to fling the entire world into the vortex of war” in order to “conquer Russia at any cost,” as the US and its allies’ hegemony “is at stake.”
UN Draft Resolution “Anti-Russian”
The Russian envoy stressed that the UN’s draft resolution on the Russia-Ukraine crisis remained “anti-Russian and malicious,” despite being watered down to garner support from UN members.
Furthermore, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky revealed that Belarusian representatives took a decision to “try to balance the draft and come up with their amendments, including the prohibition to ship weapons to the conflict zone and the need to tackle the root causes of the crisis.”
Resolution that will be taken by UNGA later today. The western backed resolution reiterates demand Russia "immediately, completely and unconditionally" withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders: pic.twitter.com/qdnbJr2l2X
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) February 22, 2023
The UN’s draft resolution is based on the 10-point peace plan submitted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in November.
The plan calls for:
- Ensuring nuclear safety
- Food security
- Energy security
- Releasing all prisoners and deported persons
- Implementing the UN Charter and restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the world order
- Withdrawal of all Russian troops and a cessation of hostilities
- Justice, including a special tribunal for Russian war crimes
- Countering ecocide (economic suppression)
- Preventing escalation
- Confirming the end of the war.
However, last month, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the proposal, declaring that there can be no peace plan without considering “today’s realities” of four Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia — having joined Russia.