Ukraine says no point in talks until Russian troops pushed back

KYIV: Ukraine on Saturday dismissed French President Emmanuel Macron's call not to "humiliate" Russia for the sake of diplomacy and said that there was no point in negotiating until Moscow's forces were pushed back as far as possible.

Macron, who has kept up dialogue with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin since Russia's Feb. 24 invasion, offered on Friday to mediate in the war and warned against humiliating Moscow so as to keep the door open to a diplomatic solution. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba rejected Macron's logic emphatically on Twitter, saying that such calls "could only humiliate France and every other country that calls for it".

"Because it is Russia that humiliates itself. We all better focus on how to put Russia in its place. This will bring peace and save lives," he said. Asked about the mediation offer on national television, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said: "...Until we receive weapons in their full amount, until we strengthen our positions, until we push them (Russia's forces) back as far as possible to the borders of Ukraine, there is no point in holding negotiations."

Ukraine, which says that Russia has already occupied about 20% of its territory, is now receiving more powerful weapons from the West. "Our armed forces are ready to use (the new weapons)...and then I think we can initiate a new round of talks from a strengthened position," David Arakhamia, Ukrainian lawmaker and a member of the negotiation team, said on Friday.

Among other things, the United States will give Ukraine precision HIMARS rocket systems allowing it to hit Russian positions from a longer range.

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