‘Deluded’ Putin has ‘missed chance for peace’ and it’ll ‘only get worse for Moscow’ | World | News
Vladimir Putin has “lost the chance” to end the war by refusing to hold a new round of peace talks, Ukraine’s foreign minister said. Andrii Sybiha spoke ahead of a meeting in London on Sunday evening, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with the leaders of Britain, Germany and France to discuss greater support for Ukraine.
Sybiha said: “By rejecting President Zelensky’s offer for direct peace talks, Putin lost his chance to get out of the war, which he failed. Things will get worse for Russia. Battlefield losses will continue to increase. Failures will be even more humiliating.” He said Putin’s failures “will become even more humiliating” as the economy continues to dive “deeper into recession” with more job losses, higher taxes and rising inflation.
He added: “There are currently no safe places in Russia that would be exempt from Ukraine’s long-term sanctions, but their intensity will continue to increase.
“All this because the fanatic in the Kremlin wants to stay in power at all costs and is ready to sacrifice the future of his country and kill millions of people for his own crazy dreams.
“All this because he does not want to accept a simple truth: He will never achieve his goals on the battlefield, and he had better give up his illusory hopes that Ukraine will soon collapse, support from its partners will wane, or pressure on Russia will ease.”
His attack came after the Russian President rejected an offer for a face-to-face meeting with Zelensky, which was suggested to be held through an open letter from the Ukrainian leader.
In the letter, Zelensky said: “When you came to power in Russia 26 years ago, many people in Ukraine viewed you positively. That was the case. But now that is in the past.
“The overwhelming majority of Ukrainians now welcome the fact that our long-range drones visited the opening of your forum in St. Petersburg, traveling more than 1,000 kilometers. As you well know, this distance is not the limit of our capabilities.
“Your 26-year stay in power has completely changed the agenda of relations between Ukraine and Russia. Our people have moved from discussions on trade and other civil matters to talking almost exclusively about attacks and losses.
“You spent almost half of the 26 years you were in power in Russia fighting against Ukraine.”
He added: “But you will have to fight much harder for your own existence, not Russia’s, but your own. And this is not a threat from me or Ukraine. It’s a well-known fact of Russian history: When Russia gets tired, change comes.
“We can work against this fatigue.
“Eternal tribute to all whose lives were taken in this war.”
