It would be good for the new Ukraine's leadership to carry on a dialogue with Russia, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, one of the three foreign ministers who on Friday brokered a peace deal between the government of Ukraine and opposition forces, has said.
“The new Ukrainian government needs to be in touch, needs to have a
conversation with Russia, which is an important neighbor, just like
Poland, because, apart from anything else, Ukraine needs the lower gas
price and doesn’t want Russia to play the separatist card,” he said in
an interview with CNN TV channel.
According to the minister, “there are people in the opposition who
are capable, who know what needs to be done, and who would have the
confidence, both of the West and the ability to talk to Russia.”
Sikorski said was important to retain Ukraine’s integrity.
“Ukraine is a large area. Ukraine is a country of over 40 million
people. This is no Transnistria, no Georgia. And playing with separatism
would be a very dangerous game,” he said.
“Ukraine is a fully independent country and her sovereignty and her
borders are actually guaranteed by the Budapest Declaration of the
United States, United Kingdom and Russia. Remember, Ukraine gave up
voluntarily its nuclear weapons and in return she received those
guarantees. And I think we should hold Russia to those guarantees,” the
Polish diplomat said.
Being asked whether the opposition controls the situation in the
country, the minister said: “Well, we have a legitimate source of
authority in Kyiv, which is the democratically elected parliament and a
democratically, constitutionally elected speaker of parliament, who is
acting president. And I think it is this source of authority that needs
to unite the country,” he said.
