Kiev [Ukraine], November 11: Ukraine's foreign minister said he had urged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday to accelerate deliveries of interceptors as Russia ramps up attacks on energy infrastructure to break Ukrainian morale during the winter months.
Speaking after talks with Rubio on the sidelines of a G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris, Andrii Sybiha told Reuters he had pressed Washington to maintain pressure on Moscow even as diplomatic efforts to end the war took place in Abu Dhabi.
"We should work on the peace track, but in parallel we should continue to pressure Russia," he said in an interview.
Sybiha said he had requested additional support for Ukraine's battered energy grid and more air-defence interceptors, while confirming that US intelligence sharing and military assistance through the Priority Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme remained in place.
"I raised the issue of how we could speed up some supply, how we could find a proper way to maybe front-load something, and how we could try to find additional quantities," he said.
Commenting on the US-mediated talks now underway between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Abu Dhabi, Sybiha said: "Ukraine has serious intentions. We try to use any opportunity to speed up peace efforts and to make peace closer."
He said Ukraine remained prepared to discuss range of de-escalatory measures, including ceasefires covering the Black Sea and energy infrastructure.
Sybiha said proposals for a Black Sea ceasefire had been conveyed to Russia through intermediaries including Turkey, Egypt and India, but added he was "not so optimistic" about progress and was still awaiting a response from Moscow.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
