<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, warned this Friday from Munich, where he is attending the Security Conference, that “a quick peace, a snub behind the backs of Ukraine and the Europeans, does not guarantee a fair peace”.</strong></h4> “There is no negotiating table at the moment, and (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky has been clear about this,” Albares told TVE from Munich. “When we talk about the future of Ukraine, it cannot be done without Ukraine,” he warned. “We want peace, as soon as possible, but a solid, lasting, fair peace, and that has to respect the opinion and will of Ukraine and take into account the interests and voice of those most affected after Ukraine, which are the Europeans,” he insisted. “We cannot tolerate that this says that wars of aggression pay, that would be unstable for everyone,” he concluded. According to Albares, the meetings between the US and Russia are, “obviously, a bilateral matter,” as I myself am going to have bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Egypt and China.” In any case, he assured, “none of us were aware of Trump’s conversations.” “We cannot influence what third parties decide, what we can decide is what attitude we take towards the future of Ukraine on the eve of the fourth year of war,” he continued. The Munich Conference is being held two days after US President Donald Trump announced that he had reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to begin “immediate negotiations” to end the war. Both the EU and NATO have rejected any peace agreement that does not involve Ukraine and European countries. For his part, Trump himself assured reporters early this morning that there will be a meeting in Munich on Friday between “senior representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the US.” Ukraine has assured that it is unaware of this alleged meeting. Specifically, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a telephone conversation on Thursday with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, to whom he conveyed “the need for bold diplomacy to end the war in a negotiated manner that leads to sustainable peace.” Also, according to a press release from the State Department, Secretary Rubio stressed the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s independence and the stability of Ukraine and the region.” Sybiha said she had “had a good conversation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on developing a strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States with mutual benefit for our peoples” and expressed her “gratitude” for “confirming that the United States remains committed to supporting Ukraine,” according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. “Achieving a comprehensive, fair and sustainable peace is our common interest,” she added.
