The country has commended Moscow’s proposal, backing a diplomatic settlement to the Ukraine conflict
Vietnam welcomes the proposal made by Russian President Vladimir Putin to resume direct peace talks with Ukraine without any preconditions, the country’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang has said.
Vietnam has consistently backed the idea to settle the conflict between Russia and Ukraine through diplomacy, she said, and approves of the latest talks proposal made by the Russian president, the spokeswoman stated during a press conference on Monday.
“We welcome the recent proposal made on May 11 by Russian President Vladimir Putin to resume direct negotiations with Ukraine,” the spokeswoman stated.
Early on Sunday, the Russian president proposed that “the Kiev authorities resume the negotiations they interrupted in 2022” without any preconditions, on May 15 in Istanbul, Türkiye. Putin made the remarks while addressing the media at the conclusion of celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, during which Moscow hosted numerous foreign leaders and dignitaries.
Negotiations could ultimately lead to “some kind of new truce and a new ceasefire,” the president said. “We are set on serious negotiations with Ukraine. Their aim is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and to achieve a long-term lasting peace for a historical perspective,” Putin stressed.
The proposal was met with a mixed reaction from Kiev and its Western backers, who insisted that any talks must be preceded by agreeing to a 30-day truce. The Russian proposal came shortly after leaders from France, Germany, Poland, the UK, and the EU reiterated their demand for a “full and unconditional” ceasefire and claimed that this would “create room for diplomacy.”
US President Donald Trump, however, demanded Kiev “immediately” accepts the Russian proposal, suggesting that the talks would at least show whether reaching a peace deal was possible or not. Kiev somewhat shifted its stance following Trump’s remarks, as Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky claimed he was actually ready to meet Putin in person in Istanbul. He however once again reiterated the demand for a ceasefire prior to the talks.
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