Ukraine says ready for 'unconditional ceasefire' with Russia

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Tuesday that Kyiv is ready for an "unconditional ceasefire" with Russia but stressed that ending the war would not be realistic without US involvement in the peace process.

Speaking at a panel titled "Turning the Tables: Ukraine as a Security Provider for Europe" on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Sybiha said Ukraine would not stand in the way of peace.

"We are prepared for an unconditional ceasefire. We will never stand in the way of peace. We want peace, and we have practical proposals to achieve it," he said.

Sybiha said any future peace agreement should include legally binding bilateral security guarantees from the United States.

He added that if peace were violated again, Ukraine would need military support on the ground, progress toward European Union membership and a stronger military capable of deterring future aggression.

The panel at Ankara Palas also featured Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen and Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.

Berendsen said the Netherlands is increasing defense spending because of its own security needs, not at Washington's request.

"Russia remains a major threat to Europe and NATO. That is why Ukraine's fight is our fight," he said.

He called for increased support for Ukraine and greater pressure on Russia, adding that the Netherlands is prepared to help advance peace negotiations.

Stenergard said support for Ukraine remains inadequate and urged allies to increase financial assistance.

She said the Nordic countries, despite representing only a small share of NATO's population, have provided one-third of the alliance's support to Ukraine.

"If other countries had contributed as much as we have, the war would already be over," she said.

Stenergard also said rebuilding Ukraine after the war will be critical to securing lasting peace and reiterated the need for stronger sanctions and pressure on Russia.

The summit in Ankara is bringing together leaders of the 32-member alliance as well as key partners to discuss Europe’s defense capacity, the alliance’s defense spending targets, military modernization, and continued support for Ukraine.

The Ankara meeting marks the second NATO summit hosted by Türkiye, following the 2004 Istanbul summit. The gathering also provides a platform for bilateral meetings between Türkiye and allied countries on political, security and economic cooperation.