Nebenzya says Russia will continue military action pending talks on lasting peace

Russia's UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said on October 9 that Moscow would pursue its objectives by military means until its opponents began substantive discussions of conditions for a lasting settlement in Ukraine.

In the speech published by Russia's UN mission, Nebenzya said Moscow had not rejected negotiations. He linked a sustainable settlement to addressing what Russia describes as the conflict's root causes, including the position of Russian-speaking people and Ukrainian legislation.

The ambassador accused Kyiv and Western countries of avoiding serious dialogue and rejected attempts to impose peace terms on Russia through ultimatums. Those assessments represent the Russian envoy's position. His speech did not announce an agreed ceasefire, a date for negotiations or a peace agreement accepted by the parties. Nebenzya set out a policy of continuing military action pending discussions of terms that Moscow considers capable of securing a durable settlement.