Ukraine's sovereignty over troop presence affirmed amid talks
- It is Ukraine, not Russia, that will decide on the presence of foreign troops on its territory, emphasised Radosław Sikorski in Madrid. The Polish minister participated in a meeting of the EU's Big Five, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.
What do you need to know?
- The decision about the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine belongs to Kyiv, not the Kremlin - emphasised Radosław Sikorski during the meeting in Madrid.
- As he noted, the topic is premature because there is no ceasefire agreement in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict yet.
- He indicated that it would be up to the international community to decide if Kyiv requests foreign military presence.
During the meeting in Madrid, attended by representatives of the EU's Big Five (France, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Spain), the United Kingdom, and Ukraine, Radosław Sikorski stressed that it is Ukraine's prerogative to decide on the presence of foreign troops on its territory.
The minister noted that the discussion on this topic is premature because a ceasefire agreement has not yet been reached in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
What does the lack of a ceasefire agreement mean?
Sikorski pointed out that without a ceasefire agreement, discussions about the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine are purely theoretical at this point.
- If Kyiv requests foreign presence, then the international community will decide on this matter, assessed the minister.
The head of Polish diplomacy emphasised that Russia poses a threat to all of Europe, and therefore the response should also be European.
