Ukraine Rejects Appeasement in Peace Talks with Russia at OSCE Meeting

Vienna:

Ukraine's foreign minister declared on Thursday at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe that his country seeks "real peace, not appeasement" with Russia. This statement comes as the security and rights body aims to establish its role in post-war Ukraine.

Following what U.S. President Donald Trump described as "reasonably good" discussions between Russian President Putin and American envoys, Trump acknowledged that the way forward for peace negotiations remains uncertain.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha emphasized in his address to the OSCE's annual Ministerial Council: "We still remember the names of those who betrayed future generations in Munich. This should never be repeated again. Principles must be untouchable, and we need real peace, not appeasement."

His reference appeared to invoke the 1938 agreement with Nazi Germany, when Britain, France and Italy consented to Hitler's annexation of the Sudetenland in then-Czechoslovakia—a historical event commonly used to symbolize the failure to stand up to an aggressive power. Russia was scheduled to deliver remarks later in the proceedings.

"Europe had too many unfair peace deals in the past. All of them only led to new catastrophes," Sybiha stated, expressing gratitude to the United States for advancing peace initiatives while affirming Ukraine's commitment to "use every opportunity to try to end this war."

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Wednesday that his team is preparing for meetings in the United States and that dialogue with Trump's representatives will continue.

The OSCE, comprising 57 nations including the United States, Canada, Russia, and numerous European and Central Asian countries, emerged as a significant platform for east-west dialogue during the Cold War era.

In recent years, the organization has frequently faced deadlock as Russia has blocked crucial agreements, claiming the OSCE has been co-opted by Western interests.

Currently, the United States is preventing consensus on a new budget, insisting on reforms including cost-cutting measures, according to diplomatic sources.