Russia Won’t Negotiate Seriously While It Thinks It Can Force Ukraine to Surrender, Sybiha Says

Russia will not engage in serious peace talks as long as it believes it can force Ukraine to surrender through pressure what it has failed to achieve on the battlefield, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Monday, Oct. 26. “As long as Russia believes it can achieve the goals of its invasion – goals it cannot achieve on the battlefield – by having anyone pressure Ukraine into capitulation, it will not engage in serious negotiations,” Sybiha said in a statement published by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Peace through strength is the only strategy that works. But that strength must be directed against the aggressor, not the country defending itself,” he added. “This war cannot be ended by stopping Ukraine’s resistance. It can only be ended by stopping the aggressor’s attacks.” Sybiha was responding to remarks by Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who complained that Washington had failed to pressure Kyiv into accepting a peace deal. Ushakov said Moscow had initially expected the US to be able to impose its terms on Ukraine following the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska. He argued that negotiations should also involve European countries. Russia agrees to talks but plays down expectations Ushakov said Sunday, Oct. 25, that Russia was prepared to resume trilateral negotiations with Ukraine and the US after Nov. 4, but described the next meeting as preliminary, playing down expectations of a breakthrough. Other Topics of Interest How One Danish Entrepreneur Is Bringing Ukrainian Art to the World Danish entrepreneur Caspar Ejsing runs an online gallery connecting Ukrainian artists with international buyers, with 5% of every sale supporting the Hospitallers Medical Battalion. The proposed talks could take place in Abu Dhabi or Switzerland in the first half of November, according to media reports. Zelensky has also named Abu Dhabi as a possible venue. On Oct. 21, Zelensky said Kyiv had received a signal from Washington that Moscow was ready to resume trilateral talks. However, the proposed meeting’s timing and agenda remained under discussion. The diplomatic push comes amid deep disagreements over the terms of a settlement. Moscow continues to demand territorial concessions, while Kyiv rejects any agreement that would undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty or leave it vulnerable to another Russian invasion. Kyiv calls for a ceasefire and security guarantees Zelensky has said Ukraine is ready to stop the fighting along the current front line but insists that a lasting settlement must include credible security guarantees against renewed Russian aggression. In an Sunday, Oct. 24 address outlining Ukraine’s conditions for peace, he called for firm US and European security commitments, a strong Ukrainian military backed by at least 10 years of international funding, and a ceasefire before broader negotiations. Kyiv has also warned against easing sanctions on Russia or offering concessions without safeguards against another invasion. Military support adds to tensions with Washington Sybiha’s remarks come as Kyiv faces renewed uncertainty over US military support. On Oct. 17, Zelensky said Starlink speeds in Ukraine had been capped at 161 kph (100 mph), making the system unusable for some interceptor drones designed to destroy Russian jet-powered Shahed attack drones, and endangering Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russian attacks. “When an Iranian drone goes with a speed of 450 or 500 kph [280 to 311 mph], and you limit [the speed] one night to 70 or even 100, you cannot intercept anything,” Zelensky told CNN. “And this is terrible.” Zelensky said Ukraine does not use Starlink to attack Russian military or energy targets inside Russia. “We don’t attack Russian military targets or energy targets using Starlink. Never,” he said. “That’s why it was strange they limited us in Ukraine. It means limiting our ability to defend ourselves.” The inability to intercept Russian drones effectively has become a major threat to Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. On Saturday, Oct. 23, Zelensky added that restrictions on Starlink and Starshield satellite communications remained in place and that agreed deliveries of Patriot interceptor missiles were delayed. He has described the restrictions and delays as attempts to pressure Ukraine into capitulation. Washington has not publicly confirmed that the measures were intended to force Kyiv to surrender. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.