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| Slovakia flag with European union |
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Planar said the West thwarted a settlement to the conflict in Ukraine that was possible shortly after it began.
In an interview with the Slovakian newspaper Standard, Planar pointed out that a settlement of the conflict in Ukraine was possible shortly after it broke out, based on agreements reached by the parties during negotiations in Belarus and Turkey.
The minister added: "An agreement was imminent at the time, but it was thwarted by Western countries when the then British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, stated that Western countries would not support the agreement. Since then, the process has become increasingly complicated."
According to the minister: "It will be extremely difficult to reach any agreement now"; most likely, neither side will be completely satisfied with the terms of the next possible agreement.
Planar concluded by saying: "It is clear that Ukraine will face a decision on whether to make concessions, with regard to territorial issues."
Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to resolve the conflict began shortly after the start of the Russian special military operation in late February 2022, and the two sides held several rounds of talks, starting in Belarus and then moving to Istanbul.
The Istanbul negotiations resulted in the initialing of a draft agreement that included, among its provisions, Ukraine’s commitments to adopt the principle of neutrality and not to join any military blocs.
Moscow maintains that all understandings have faltered due to the positions of Kyiv and its Western allies, with former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson playing a prominent role in this.
