UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS OF UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
By Jeyhun Aliyev
KYIV, Ukraine (AA) - Ukraine's foreign minister on Sunday said Russia's getting ready to hold talks "without any preconditions" already means "a victory for Ukraine."
Speaking at an online briefing with international press on the ongoing Russian military intervention of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv will listen to what Russia has to say, and will discuss the withdrawal of Russian soldiers.
He said Russia's deterrence weapons cannot stop Ukraine, and that Moscow cannot beat Kyiv even with nuclear strikes, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin's order to put "deterrence forces" on high alert.
Ukraine's resistance was unexpected for Putin, he said, adding that during the four days of military intervention Russia failed to achieve "any strategic goal."
"Ukraine is not falling, we are bleeding but we continue to successfully defend ourselves," he said.
Claiming that Moscow was not interested in discussions when it started the attack, Kuleba said it only decided to go for negotiations after suffering heavy losses.
Kuleba emphasized that they would welcome peace as a result of the talks, but said Kyiv would not surrender.
"We will not fall. We will not stop or get tired. This is people's war. It's not a war between one state and another, it's a war between President Putin and the people of Ukraine," he said.
He also demanded immediate steps on impose "full financial isolation" of Russia from "all civilized systems."
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Ukrainian delegation would meet Russian officials at the border with Belarus.
Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine on Thursday, days after recognizing two separatist-held enclaves in eastern Ukraine.
In response, Western powers have imposed financial sanctions on Moscow, and the EU has decided to fund arm supplies to Ukraine, close its airspace to Russian airlines, and ban Russian state media.