Russia could stop war any moment but chooses not to, says Ukrainian ambassador

Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the US, said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” by CBS that Ukrainians can still defend their own country despite North Korean troops’ presence on the front lines.

With Donald Trump’s election victory in the US, reports have emerged that hint at a possible organization of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, as during and after his election campaign, he repeatedly stated that he would ensure the war is quickly brought to an end. However, it’s unclear how Trump will push Moscow to peace negotiations with Ukraine. Sources in Trump’s team suggested that the new US president will possibly end the war at the expense of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. This approach has raised concerns among allies about the future of US support for Ukraine and the potential for a peace deal that could favor Russian interests.

“We will continue defending the very long line, whether it’s in southern eastern Ukraine or whether it’s our defensive operation in Kursk,” said Markarova.

While the Russians receive reinforcement of their capabilities by sending North Korean soldiers to the battlefield, Ukraine is not asking for other troops.

“Ukrainians are still capable of defending our own country. We’re asking for the military support,” stated Markarova.

During the interview, the Ukrainian ambassador said she believes that lowering the mobilization age for Ukrainian soldiers isn’t as serious as receiving equipment from allies.

“We still have, first of all, we have a number of young people fighting for Ukraine, and they are volunteering, and women are volunteering. With the recruitment, the last changes to the law on mobilization already allowed us to create new brigades, which we are training now. And the problem is to have enough equipment to train them on,” Markarova said.

The Ukrainian ambassador emphasized the importance of sufficient and proper weapons to counter nearly 3000 glide bombs every month that “Russians are sending against us.”

“I mean, it’s still a question of artillery and weapons and air defense, most importantly, and the more we can have, the faster we can – the more efficiently we can defend,” she claimed.

The Ukrainian ambassador, Markarova, also said that nobody wants peace more than Ukraine, and it can be achieved by degrading Russia’s attack capabilities with long-range weapon systems.

“Ukraine was never a problem. We never initiated this conflict,” she said.

When asked whether there is a chance for a Christmas ceasefire and prisoner exchange, Markarova said that “every time Russia is talking about some ceasefire, they are lying” because if the Kremlin wants seriously to stop the war, “they can stop it anytime.”

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