Sikorski: Premature peace summit with Russia may not bring desired results for Ukraine
The continuation of the war in Ukraine is important for Putin in terms of preserving his political position, so a summit on a peaceful settlement, if held prematurely, may not bring the desired result.
This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, which holds the EU presidency, Radoslaw Sikorski, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrinform.
When asked about his stance on US President Donald Trump's intention to join negotiations with the Russian dictator to expedite the end of the war in Ukraine, the head of Polish diplomacy responded: "I have already expressed my skepticism about holding a premature summit. There are two approaches to negotiating with a difficult partner. The first is to 'test the waters' at a lower level—with officials or deputy ministers—to assess whether there is room for agreement and whether solutions can be found for both sides' red lines. In this case, the leaders would only formalize the agreement. The second approach is personal diplomacy, where key decision-makers negotiate the agreement directly. Both methods are legitimate, but we should evaluate them based solely on their outcomes," Sikorski said.
He emphasized that the question of Europe's participation in the negotiation process falls under the jurisdiction of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the President of the European Council. Poland's presidency of the EU plays only a supporting role in this matter. However, according to the minister, Ukraine's involvement in any discussions concerning Ukraine must remain the fundamental principle of any peace settlement process.
Commenting on the possible impact of the current situation on the front line on the parties' readiness for negotiations, the chief Polish diplomat said that despite the tactical advances of Russian troops, what Putin has achieved in the three years of war is his complete failure.
"Ukraine is winning at sea - the Russian Navy is experiencing more and more restrictions on its operations at sea every month. Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries seem to be very successful. At the same time, Russia is paying a huge price in men and materials for each village they capture. If we recall Putin's original plans and goals in this war, after three years this situation is a complete disaster for Russia. Therefore, we (Europeans - ed.) need to stay the course and convince Putin that he made a mistake," the Polish Foreign Minister emphasized.
Answering journalists' questions about Putin's readiness for peace talks, Sikorski emphasized that the main thing is not the fact that the Russian dictator is participating in the negotiations, but that as a result of this process, he should get out of Ukraine.
"I don't want him to take part in the negotiations, I want him to get out of Ukraine. He can do it in five minutes. If he doesn't, he will face an international court. He has no business on the territory of another UN member state. But the convenience (of the situation - ed.) for Putin is not my concern. I am concerned about the nature of the Russian regime and Putin's control over Russia. Under these conditions, Putin may prefer a bad war to a good peace. Because only by continuing the war will he feel significant. This is the nature of all dictatorial regimes that wage war," the Polish official emphasized.
