Ukraine Will Seek International Backing for Its Peace Formula at UN

Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister said Thursday that Kyiv will pursue adoption of a resolution in the U.N. General Assembly that would enshrine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace formula.

"The Ukrainian leadership decided that the priority number one that will be considered in February is the resolution dedicated to the peace formula,” Emine Dzhaparova told reporters at the United Nations, where she attended a Security Council meeting on the rule of law.

February 24 marks one year since President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

At the Group of 20 Summit in November, Zelenskyy addressed the meeting by video and presented his 10-point vision for ending Russia’s war against his country.

It includes the withdrawal of Russian troops and the cessation of hostilities, as well as nuclear safety, food and energy security, releasing prisoners of war and deported persons.

"[U.N.] Ambassador [Sergiy] Kyslytsya will now keep on pushing for the modality of consideration of this resolution because we might call for a special session to adopt this resolution,” Dzhaparova said.

She emphasized that the peace formula is the basis for a discussion, but it does not mean that Kyiv is ready to sign up to any agreement that goes against its interests.

"We are very much committed to any peace negotiation that comes and brings us to one result: territorial integrity, sovereignty, peace for our people,” she said. "But as my president has been constantly saying, we aren’t going to trade any inch of Ukrainian soil, and without having Russia’s army out of Ukraine, we will not discuss any peace negotiation.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, however, has said Kremlin officials would refuse to use Zelenskyy’s "peace formula" as a basis for negotiations, calling Kyiv's intention to drive Russia out of eastern Ukraine and Crimea "an illusion," according to Russia's state-run RIA news agency.

The Kremlin on January 5 said Putin had told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Moscow was ready for peace talks only under the condition that Ukraine "take into account the new territorial realities," a reference to Kyiv acknowledging annexed territories.

Dzhaparova said that Ukraine may also seek a second General Assembly resolution later in the year for setting up a special international tribunal to hold Russia’s leadership accountable for its invasion — the crime of aggression.

The International Criminal Court at The Hague is already investigating potential war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on Ukrainian territory since Russia’s invasion.

VOA