Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has stated that Kyiv is ready to halt hostilities across all frontline sectors right now if Russia does the same. He wrote this on his account on the X platform, according to RBC-Ukraine. The statement came against the backdrop of the successful completion of an operation to evacuate residents of occupied Oleshky, who had spent months enduring hunger and isolation.
Reaction to the evacuation of Oleshky
Sybiha emphasized that after months of hunger and isolation under Russian occupation, the residents of Oleshky are finally safe. According to him, those who decided to stay must have unhindered access to humanitarian aid. The top diplomat recalled that Ukraine had long sounded the alarm over the situation in Oleshky and raised this issue, in particular, at UN Security Council meetings.
Gratitude to mediators
Separately, Sybiha thanked the American side and US First Lady Melania Trump for their mediation in the evacuation. He also expressed gratitude to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, partners, fellow ministers, and officials who helped respond to the humanitarian catastrophe in Oleshky. The Foreign Minister expressed special appreciation to Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and his team for coordinating the operation on the ground.
Oleshky as a step toward peace
Against the backdrop of recent events, Sybiha suggested that the results of the Oleshky operation could serve as a confidence-building measure and pave the way for further steps in the peace process. "If hostilities can be stopped in one place, they can be stopped everywhere and forever. Ukraine is ready for this. We expect the same readiness from Russia," he concluded.
Broader diplomatic context
Earlier, following the meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham in London, Sybiha confirmed Kyiv's readiness for a truce, particularly in the energy sector, and stated the need to define a new, more active role for Europe in peace efforts while maintaining transatlantic unity. Thus, the statement on readiness to halt hostilities along the entire front fits into the broader line of Ukrainian diplomacy aimed at involving partners in a peaceful settlement and resuming negotiations.
Position of the Russian side
On October 31, Russia stated that it had agreed with Ukraine on regular humanitarian missions. Thus, both sides publicly recorded their readiness for humanitarian and peace steps on the same day, although the wording and emphasis in the statements of Kyiv and Moscow differ.
