Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha publicly condemned countries that sent congratulatory messages to Russia on its national holiday, specifically targeting recent greetings from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Speaking before a “Weimar+” format ministerial meeting in Rome, Sybiha expressed his displeasure at what he described as inappropriate diplomatic gestures toward an aggressor nation.
“As a minister of a country at war, it was particularly unpleasant for me to read public congratulations from some countries addressed to the Russian aggressor on their national holiday this morning. There can be no reward for aggression. There can be no reward for an aggressor country,” Sybiha said, according to reports from Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sybiha argued that his position stems from direct exposure to the war’s realities. The minister referenced a recent visit to Kherson with his Lithuanian counterpart, noting the city’s proximity to active fighting at just 13 kilometers (8 miles) from the front line.
This short distance to active hostilities makes Kherson vulnerable to heavy and continuous shelling and drone attacks by Russian forces. Sybiha described observing children attending classes in underground schools as evidence of what he termed “Russian terror.”
The minister’s comments came in response to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Russia Day message, in which Rubio stated that the United States remains committed to supporting the Russian people who “continue to build their aspiration for a better future.”
Rubio also emphasized a desire for “constructive engagement with the Russian Federation to bring about a durable peace between Russia and Ukraine. It is our hope that peace will foster more mutually beneficial relations between our countries.”
His greeting came as the Russian troop losses in Ukraine have surpassed one million and the recent polls indicated that approximately 75% of Russians still support the ongoing invasion.
Sybiha also claimed that Russia presented what he called “old and unrealistic ultimatums” during peace talks in Istanbul. Russia demands Ukraine withdraws from four occupied regions, adopts a neutral status, abandon aspirations to join NATO, and recognize Russian as an official languag.
Meanwhile, Ukraine rejects any veto over its NATO aspirations and insists on strong Western security guarantees. The country also accepted a US ceasefire proposal 100 days ago, which Russia continues to reject. Russian President Vladimir Putin also avoided meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul even though this was proposed to him.
The foreign minister stated Ukraine’s goal of ending the war within the current year, emphasizing the importance of maintaining pressure on Russia to achieve a ceasefire that could lead to broader negotiations.