The AP Interview: Ukraine's Kuleba on talks, Mariupol

(25 Apr 2022)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv - 25 April 2022
1. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba arriving at interview
2. Wide of interview
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister:
"On Saturday, Russian missiles hit Odesa, killing civilians, including a young mother, with a three-month-old child. And yesterday at least five missiles hit the city of Kremenchuk in central Ukraine. And the third element is the heavy fighting that continues in Donbas, and doesn't stop, and the Russian offensive in Donbas doesn't stop for a single minute. And these two days, they were very important. These were the days of Easter, of Orthodox Easter and President Putin and the entire Russia, who are obsessed with icons, crosses and references to God's protection, they demonstrated clearly that not only they choose war to talks, they also choose acting against God's will on Easter instead of at least observing a ceasefire."
4. Kuleba speaking
5. Journalist listening
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister:
"He is a counterpart, as far as I understand, he (Sergey Lavrov) represents the hawks in the Putin administration. I didn't get a sense he wants to negotiate when we met in Istanbul, like a month ago. What I hear him saying publicly is the classic Russian manipulative narrative trying to put the blame on Ukraine for not being constructive enough. But I mean, I can spend hours explaining why he manipulates and spreads disinformation about it. But my point is this: I don't think he's ready for a serious conversation. I don't think Russia is ready for finding solutions at the negotiating table. But if I see that they change this attitude and they are ready to seriously look for mutually acceptable solutions, I will overcome my disgust and sit down with him and talk."
7. Wide of interview
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister:
"Every war ends, there are no wars in the history of humankind that would not come to an end. The question is when will it end and at what cost? The sooner President Putin agrees to meet with President Zelenskyy, the (more) likely it will be to bring the moment of the end of the war closer. I don't give one hundred percent guarantee, but I have confidence in my president. I understand that he's prepared for that conversation and he knows how to negotiate. The longer President Putin escapes this meeting, the likelihood is that he is focused entirely on the war scenario. But this speaks for one, for one fact. Ukraine seeks peace, Russia seeks war. This is it."
9. Kuleba speaking
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister:
11. Kuleba talking to journalist
12. Kuleba and journalist shaking hands
STORYLINE:
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russia chose war instead of talks by hitting several cities with missiles over the weekend.
"These were the days of Easter, of Orthodox Easter and President Putin and the entire Russia, who are obsessed with icons, crosses and references to God's protection, they demonstrated clearly that not only they choose war to talks, they also choose acting against God's will on Easter instead of at least observing a ceasefire," said Kuleba, speaking in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday.
Although Ukraine and Russia have conducted discussions on ending the war since its early days, Kuleba said he thought anything lower level than talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin would lead to little resolution.
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[@user-mc6vj9gn9j]

This is like two Kulebas talking. The same is with Shmyhal and Charles Michele

[@ikenwugwuT]

How this guys are able to bring "God" in to nearly everything shocks me.