Ukrainian diplomat calls for Russia to withdraw after Biden-Putin summit

A Ukrainian diplomat is calling for Russia to withdraw from his country after the Biden-Putin summit in Geneva, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba told Reuters that it was encouraging to see President Biden take a a tough stance toward Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Kuleba also said that he had worried about Biden and Putin doing an inside deal, which could affect his country’s future. 

“President Putin saw … no invitation to bargain from the United States on the Ukrainian matter,” Kuleba told Reuters. “And this is a matter of principle because we agreed with the United States that no deals on Ukraine will be made without Ukraine, and America kept its promise.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Reuters that Biden had given his reassurance that he will not use the country as a “bargaining tool” in talks with Russia. 

This comes as Western world leaders have voiced their support for Ukraine in the ongoing conflict at the country’s eastern border, where Russian troops have been stationed since 2014. 

Zelensky on Sunday thanked leaders of the Group of Seven for their support after they urged Russia to withdraw troops from the Ukrainian border. 

Commend the unwavering support for by #G7 states in the Summit’s communiqué. Grateful to leaders for the continued support for independence & sovereignty & the call to the aggressor to withdraw troops from borders & Crimea. #Crimea is Ukraine!

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 13, 2021

Zelensky has expressed interest in Ukraine joining NATO, but Biden said in the summit that the country must “root out corruption” and meet other criteria to join the alliance, Reuters noted.