Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sibiga said that Russian President Vladimir Putin missed the opportunity to hold direct peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Sibiga argued that this weakened Russia's chance to exit the war and that Moscow will have to agree to a diplomatic solution under much harsher conditions in the future.
In a social media post, Sibiga noted that this is not good news for Russia, stating that the war is increasingly turning into a negative scenario for Moscow. He said Russian losses will increase, battlefield defeats will become even more humiliating, and the economy will be dragged into a deeper recession.
Strong Message from the Ukrainian Side
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister said that the impact of sanctions will not diminish but rather increase. He emphasized that frozen assets, travel bans, and accountability pressures for crimes committed will expand.
Sibiga also stated that Russia no longer has a safe haven, Ukraine’s long-range pressure will continue, and international pressure will not ease. According to him, this pressure will further raise the economic and political costs on Russia.
"Putin Will Not Achieve His Goals" Message
Sibiga said Putin will not achieve his objectives on the battlefield. He dismissed expectations that Ukraine would collapse soon, that its international support would weaken, or that pressure on Russia would ease.
The Ukrainian minister argued that Russia will eventually be forced into a diplomatic solution, but when it sits at the table, the conditions it faces will be much worse. Therefore, rejecting peace talks will increase the cost for Moscow.
Call for Talks and Moscow’s Response
Before this statement, Zelenskiy had called on Putin in an open letter published on June 4 to set a date and hold talks, requesting that Europe and the US be involved to end the war. Putin said he was reviewing the letter and saw no point in such a meeting.
Sibiga’s recent remarks have brought Kyiv’s call for direct contact back to the forefront. While the position gap between the parties remains, the Ukrainian administration wants international pressure on Moscow to be further intensified.
