West lacks war strategy, partners should realize Russia's collapse isn't scary - Ukrainian diplomat

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"As a diplomat, I understand that at some point we will have to negotiate with these inhumans. Of course, under Putin we will not agree on anything with this country, but any war ends in negotiations. I wanted the negotiations to start as soon as possible, but today I see no preconditions for them. Because there is nothing to negotiate with Putin. After attack on Kyiv, on the children's hospital, I can't imagine how we can sit down at the negotiating table with Russia," Yelchenko emphasized.

According to the diplomat, today Ukraine is being pushed to negotiate because the West has no clear strategy regarding the war and Russia.

"They are afraid that Russia will collapse and nuclear proliferation or an uncontrolled conflict will begin. Although we already went through this in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. They were also afraid then, but nothing terrible happened," Yelchenko said.

The diplomat also added that Ukraine needs to convince its Western partners that there is nothing wrong with Russia's collapse.

"Because there are no prospects for negotiations and agreements with Russia. That is, there is nothing to talk about with these people. They belong to a different civilization that does not intersect with the civilization in which we and the Western world are located," Yelchenko summarized.

• NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that at the summit in Washington, D.C., the Alliance members and partners in the Pacific region will develop a strategy for China, as it is the "main enabler" of Russian aggression against Ukraine.