Poland's foreign minister: Russia not ready to end war with Ukraine

Russia is not ready for peace talks with Ukraine because it continues to demand that Ukraine relinquish large portions of its territory, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said in an interview on Thursday.

"Russia continues to demand Ukraine's capitulation, and as long as that is the case, Ukraine will not accept it," Sikorski told the PAP news agency.

He was responding to an announcement by Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, who said he wants to present a new peace plan before the US election in November.

When talking about ending the war, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian politicians always demand large territorial concessions from Ukraine and a Moscow-friendly government in Kiev. Since Ukrainian troops advanced into the Russian region of Kursk, Russian officials have described talks as completely impossible.

The Polish foreign minister views the Ukrainian offensive more optimistically than other Western governments.

"Ukraine has done something unexpected for Putin, it has occupied part of Russia. Now there is a basis for talks and for the demand for both countries to withdraw to an internationally recognized border," he said.

Ukraine has been fending off Russia's full-scale invasion, which started in February 2022, with large amounts of Western support. Poland is one of Ukraine's biggest supporters.