Ukrainian foreign minister on potential ceasefire: Experience shows we should expect provocations from Russia

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said that the agreements alone are not enough to start the 30-day ceasefire. It is also necessary to resolve the issue of monitoring the temporary ceasefire, as Ukraine has already faced Russian provocations during previous such ceasefires, before 2022.

Source: Sybiha in an interview with RBC-Ukraine

Quote: "It [the agreement on the ceasefire regime – ed.] is a very complicated process in general; in addition to reaching an agreement on the ceasefire... we face such a challenge as control and monitoring over the compliance with the ceasefire.

Our bad experience of the Minsk process and the ceasefires that were established then, of which there were at least 25, shows that this is indeed a challenge. It shows that we should immediately expect provocations from the Russian side."

Details: Sybiha added that Ukraine had seen more than once that "the Russians do not adhere to their agreements and their practice is to immediately violate these ceasefires".

"Therefore, we really need to have an effective mechanism of objective control," Sybiha said.

He reiterated that Ukraine had already begun to form a national team that would "develop modalities and algorithms to ensure this process".

Sybiha also emphasised that it was only a temporary ceasefire.

"This is by no means a frozen conflict, but a temporary truce for 30 days, as stated in our joint statement with the US delegation," he concluded.

Sybiha has also said that Russia has not yet provided an official response to the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire to which Ukraine had previously agreed.

Background:

• Following talks in Saudi Arabia on 11 March, Ukraine announced its readiness to introduce a 30-day ceasefire if Russia also adheres to it.
• On 13 March, Russian leader Putin said that Russia had agreed with the proposal to end combat actions in Ukraine, but that this should lead to a lasting peace.
• Putin said that many questions need to be answered as part of such a ceasefire. In particular, whether Ukraine will continue to mobilise people and receive weapons, how the issues of control and verification will be resolved, and who will determine who has violated what along the 2,000-kilometre front line.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Putin was putting forward additional conditions for a halt to the hostilities, which indicates that he does not want to stop fighting.
• US President Donald Trump said he plans to speak with Putin on 18 March to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

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