Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly broken his word and currently shows no readiness for genuine negotiations to peacefully resolve Russia’s war against Ukraine.
This was stated by UK Foreign Office Minister for Europe, North America, and the Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty, at the plenary session of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers in Vienna.
“Efforts by President Trump and the constructive, principled stance of Ukraine have brought real progress in recent weeks. An agreement could be historic and transformative for European security, but it will be difficult. Putin has repeatedly broken his word, and so far there are no signs that he is ready to negotiate in good faith,” Doughty said.
According to the British minister,
“Whatever the coming days bring, we must look to the future—a future with a strong, peaceful, and prosperous Ukraine.”
Doughty emphasized that through its war against Ukraine, Russia “has trampled the Helsinki Final Act and violated every obligation on which this organization was founded.”
“I saw the consequences with my own eyes during my visit to Kyiv earlier this year: families hiding in basements, drones and missiles exploding just meters away in civilian areas. And of course, this horror does not spare Ukrainian children. Russian forces are killing and maiming them in their own homes and kindergartens. Tens of thousands of boys and girls have been abducted from their families, deported, and subjected to ideological indoctrination,” the British minister said.
He stressed the importance of holding Russia accountable:
“For the illegal, unprovoked, and unjust war against Ukraine; for the violent deportation of innocent children; for the unlawful detention of civilians, including three OSCE staff members. And we will continue to pursue this relentlessly through this organization and others.”
