On Monday, Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, expressed Russia's preparedness for engaging in dialogues concerning the "post-conflict resolution" of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
According to Akipress, his statements came during the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, a notable military diplomacy event in China. Additionally, Shoigu indicated Russia's willingness for discussions on sustained "co-existence" with Western nations, albeit with a caveat for the West to cease attempts at strategically undermining Russia.
The dialogue around peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow isn't new, it has surfaced multiple times since the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, led by President Vladimir Putin in February 2022.
Certain stipulations have been laid down by the Kremlin as indispensable for Russia. Notably, the acceptance by Ukraine of the September 2022 annexation of four of its regions—Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—following referendums initiated by Putin, a move that was condemned as illegal by the global community.
Ukraine, on the other hand, insists that for a peace agreement to be viable, the September 2022 annexations must be nullified, and the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Putin in 2014, must be reinstated as part of Ukraine.
Shoigu, while addressing the 10th Xiangshan Forum, reiterated Russia's readiness for political dialogues based on realistic grounds—encompassing both the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis post-conflict and the broader scope of co-existence with the West. His statements were reported by the Russian state news agency, Tass.
He underscored the significance of establishing equal relations among all nuclear-armed nations, particularly the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, attributing to them a special role in upholding global peace and stability.
Advocating for a more equitable, multipolar global order, Shoigu called for an overhaul of the international security infrastructure to enhance its stability.
He stressed the importance of a collaborative effort among all nations interested in promoting global stability and peace.
