Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, stated in Delhi on Tuesday that Ukraine wants a fair, comprehensive, and long-lasting peace. While the country is open to negotiating a peace plan under the Trump administration, it firmly maintains that there can be no compromises that undermine its territorial integrity and sovereignty, he said. 

At the Raisina Dialogue conference, Sybiha mentioned that Kiev has backed the US proposal for a ceasefire and is now waiting for Russia's response. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin later today to discuss Washington's plan to end the war.  However, given Kiev's current stance of strictness, the negotiations will be difficult. 

"We have shared this position with our American friends and European allies: Nothing about Ukraine, without Ukraine. Nothing about Europe, without Europe. No restriction to our military capacities, and no third country has a right to block our will to participate in any union or alliance," he said. The biggest obstacle to peace right now is figuring out if and how Russian forces can be withdrawn from Ukraine's territory through negotiations. "We will never recognise any part of the territories occupied by Russians," Sybiha said, mentioning that currently, a fifth of the country remains in Russian hands. 

The war in Ukraine, which began over three years ago, has resulted in significant losses for both sides. As of December 2024, Ukraine reported losing 43,000 soldiers, with another 3.9 lakh wounded. Many Ukrainian cities have been severely damaged or destroyed during the conflict.  Sybiha acknowledged Trump's involvement in attempting to resolve the dispute. "Our approach is that now is the time for strong diplomacy truly believe that, under the leadership of President Trump, we can achieve a just, long-lasting peace for Ukraine," he said. These remarks follow a tense meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump at the White House last month. The meeting was meant to finalise a rare-earth minerals deal between the US and Ukraine. This agreement aimed to help Ukraine repay the financial aid it received from America and provide a security guarantee by ensuring US investments and resources were present in Ukraine, discouraging further Russian aggression. However, the talks became heated up.

During the meeting, Trump urged Zelenskyy to negotiate a peace deal with Russia, warning that US support could be reconsidered without such an agreement. Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance accused Zelenskyy of being "disrespectful" and criticised his conduct during the discussions. 

On Monday, Sybiha attempted to put the differences to rest. "We are not the obstacle to achieving peace. Let’s see what the response from the Russian side will be to settle the ceasefire," Sybiha said. He claimed that Ukraine agreed to a temporary ceasefire to avoid the war being seen as another frozen conflict. He emphasised that Ukraine is relying on international support since the conflict revolves around the principle of territorial sovereignty defined in the United Nations Charter and the need to restore a world order based on the rule of law.