The Ukrainian government, through Andrey Sibiga, deputy head of the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for international affairs, has stated that they will only consider negotiating with Russia about the future of Crimea after a successful counteroffensive by the Ukrainian army, DW reports.
This counteroffensive may begin in April-May, and if they achieve their strategic goals on the battlefield and reach the administrative border with Crimea, they will be willing to discuss the issue diplomatically.
While military means to liberate Crimea are not ruled out, Western officials are skeptical about Ukraine's ability to regain the peninsula and fear that any attempt to do so could result in Putin escalating the war with nuclear weapons.
Ukraine suspended direct negotiations with Russia in April 2022 and banned talks with Putin after Russia annexed four Ukrainian regions in September. However, the statement from the Ukrainian official represents the most open expression of Kyiv's interest in negotiating with Russia since April 2022.
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