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US to participate in efforts to stop ‘Russian aggression,’ Ukrainian top diplomat says

Speaking of possible formats of talks with regards to settling the Donbass conflict, Dmitry Kuleba added that "now is the time for ‘quiet’ diplomacy with regards to defining formats"

KIEV, September 7. /TASS/. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba asserted that during Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s visit to the US he received assurances from his US counterpart Joe Biden that the US will participate in the efforts to curb the "Russian aggression" in an interview with the ICTV channel on Monday.

"[In Washington] an assurance was clearly expressed by Biden that the US will participate in the efforts of Ukraine and allies on stopping the Russian aggression. This is a strategic guarantee which is sufficient to move forward," the Ukrainian top diplomat said.

Speaking of possible formats of talks with regards to settling the Donbass conflict, the diplomat added that "now is the time for ‘quiet’ diplomacy with regards to defining formats." In his opinion, "now all options remain open." He added that the US is already influencing this process. "Nobody has any doubts that the US has ever stopped influencing the process, trying to influence it, directing it towards stopping the ‘Russian aggression’," the foreign minister stressed. He also expressed confidence that the US will "help Ukraine win the war" as well as "return territories." The diplomat added that the issues of interaction with the US on this subject will be discussed as early as within one day when the Ukrainian part of the US-Ukraine Strategic Partnership Commission activated by the presidents of the two countries at the September 1 talks will convene.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Reznikov who is acting head of the country’s delegation to the Contact Group on settling the Donbass conflict added that Kiev will continue talks on Donbass in the Minsk format. "It has to be preserved, any talks as an opportunity for communication should be preserved," he emphasized. At the same time, he noted that other possible venues for settling the conflict are being discussed, including the involvement of the US and the UK. "To date, we have been making various kinds of proposals," he concluded.