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The Portuguese Foreign Minister commented this Monday, in Brussels, that the recapture of the city of Kherson by the Ukrainian army “gives a lot of encouragement”, and said he believed that “the setbacks for Russia will not end here”.
Speaking to journalists at the end of a meeting of the heads of European Union (EU) diplomacy, once again dominated by the war started by Russia in Ukraine and the latest events on the ground, João Gomes Cravinho pointed out that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Minister Dmytro Kuleba had the opportunity, via video conference, to talk about the victory in Kherson, which was greeted by 27.
“The recapture of Kherson shows that the war is moving in the desired direction at this time.that is, with the reconquest of territories illegally occupied by Russia and I think that this demonstrates, on the one hand, the determination, courage and strength of the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and, on the other hand, that the support that what we are all giving, transatlantically and in Europe, is precisely the support that Ukraine needs”, the minister began by commenting.
According to João Gomes Cravinho, the successes achieved on the ground by the Ukrainian army also reinforce the “great determination” of the EU to continue its support for Ukraine, reiterating that “the Ukrainian victory in Kherson greatly encourages those more positive prospects in the path of war”, unleashed more than eight months ago by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The day that the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, visited Kherson, where he said he believed that the reconquest of this city could mark “the beginning of the end of the war”, the head of the Portuguese diplomacy said that, from the point of view From the From the EU’s point of view, this victory actually has “high value”.
Naturally, we consider the recapture of Kherson a moment of great importance. Remember that Kherson was the only major military victory Russia had, right in the first weeks of the war, and it is the capital of a district that Putin declared he had annexed, a few weeks ago. And therefore, the recapture of Kherson has a high symbolic value, and also a high strategic and military value, ”he said.
“We believe that the setbacks for Russia are not going to stop here and, therefore, we view this moment with great satisfaction and optimism,” he reinforced.
Regarding the scenario that the parties return to the negotiating table in search of a peace agreement, João Gomes Cravinho considered that this will inevitably happen, but considered that the time has not yet come, especially since the EU agrees on that it’s over It is up to the kyiv authorities to decide the terms under which they will negotiate with Moscow, and this Monday even Minister Kuleba reiterated that the conditions have not yet been met.
“I don’t think there are conditions right now for Russia to go to the negotiating table.???????? When Russia withdraws from the territories it illegitimately occupied, circumstances will certainly change. What the EU says is that it will be Ukraine that decides the right time to negotiate with Russia. We know that wars always end with diplomacy, and this one will be no different. But it will have to be on whatever terms Ukraine chooses,” she said.
Source: Observadora
