Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva Yevheniya Filipenko has warned against any appeasement of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, saying that the latest deadly attacks on Ukraine have shown that he does not want peace, and asked allies for further assistance. The diplomat said this in an interview with Reuters, reports UNN.
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On Sunday, Russia launched its largest air strike on Ukraine's power grid in almost three months, which Filipenko said shows Putin's determination to continue the 1,000-day war and “plunge Ukraine into darkness and cold.
“They demonstrate that Putin does not want peace. He wants war,” said Yevheniya Filipenko.
The diplomat also commented on the growing expectations of peace talks with Putin next year due to changes in the US administration and signs of war fatigue.
“He (Putin) perceives these attempts (to start negotiations) as weakness. And what we need now is not weakness and appeasement. We need strength,” she said, without saying who was seeking to negotiate.
The administration of President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use American-made weapons to strike deep into Russian territory. the Kremlin called the decision reckless and warned that it would increase the risk of confrontation with the US-led NATO alliance.
When asked to comment on this, she said: “We should not be afraid of Russia's threats. On the contrary, we must take decisive action to counter the threats posed by Russian aggression.
She called for additional assistance to Ukraine, asking for additional air defense equipment and increased diplomatic pressure on Russia.
UN humanitarian aid to Ukraine has declined since its peak in 2022, but Filipenko dismissed the risk of a further drop under US President-elect Donald Trump.
“I think it's too early to be scared,” she said. “We are confident in the American people (who) have demonstrated their sincere support for Ukraine.
“We do not feel war fatigue among our partners,” she added.
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