“We want to work with Russia […] There is no military solution to this conflict. The deal on offer now is Russia’s best possible outcome. President Putin should take the deal,” Acting U.S. Deputy Ambassador John Kelley told the 15-member body.
President Donald Trump, who began his second term in January pledging to end the three-year war, put forward the U.S. proposal after Kyiv signaled its readiness to halt hostilities; Moscow has yet to agree, saying a truce is impossible until certain conditions are met.
Kelley warned that if Russia refused, Washington might “step back” from mediation and consider additional sanctions. He said the United States would judge Moscow by both the contents of an expected Russian “term sheet” and its actions on the ground, condemning recent Russian strikes as inconsistent with “a desire for peace.”
Moscow seeks further talks
Russian U.N. envoy Vassily Nebenzia told the council that Moscow remained committed to “serious, direct negotiations” and had proposed a second round of face-to-face talks in Istanbul on Monday.
“The ball is in Ukraine’s court: either talks, followed by peace, or the unavoidable defeat of Ukraine on the battlefield,” he said.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia had drafted a memorandum outlining its settlement position, though Kyiv said it had not yet received the document.
Kyiv rejects territorial concessions
Ukraine’s deputy ambassador Khrystyna Hayovyshyn accused Moscow of lacking “any genuine intention to stop its war” and urged tougher sanctions.
“We will never recognize Russia’s claim to occupied territory […] There must be no appeasement of the aggressor,” she said, adding that Ukraine “remains open to any format that can yield tangible results.”
(jh)
Source: PAP, Reuters