'We hate his guts': Ukraine's ambassador calls on Australia to not 'reward Russia'

SBS Australia

4 days ago

A senior Ukranian diplomat has described the Russian president as a "war criminal", telling SBS World News, "we hate his guts", as Russia continues its assault on Ukraine. Russia holds several Ukrainian territories, which it has seized since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, and appears unlikely to relinquish them in ongoing negotiations. The fate of that Ukrainian land has been a sticking point in past peace talks, but now US President Donald Trump is hoping to shift the tide as he meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Monday (10 pm AEST).
There are hopes the talks could help secure a peace deal and end the war in Ukraine, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has been described as untrustworthy by Ukraine's ambassador to Australia.
"We haven't seen anything from Russia that Russians were actually serious about ending this war; they've actually stepped up their attacks," Vasyl Myroshnychenko said. "They have brought in more people to Ukraine, and they have sent more missiles and drones to destroy and kill more Ukrainians, so that's what we have seen.
"Vladimir Putin is a war criminal, he's indicted by the International Criminal Court and we hate the guts of him."
'Remain hopeful' for peace talks The meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy follows a peace summit last week hosted by the US between Trump and Putin. The meeting in Alaska excluded Ukrainian leaders and, while failing to reach a deal, reportedly included discussions of Ukraine potentially giving up land to Russia. Myroshnychenko said he was hopeful for a positive outcome, but warned ceding Ukrainian land to Russia would be a "reward" for aggression. "President Trump gave a call to Zelenskyy and to the European leaders and he briefed them on the substance of the negotiations. We have to remain hopeful at this stage.," he said. "What we need to avoid — and I think Australia understands it, Americans should understand it — we can't reward Russia for aggression."
Members of the Australian Ukrainian community have expressed outrage over the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Kateryna Argyrou, the chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations, said any peace talks must involve Ukraine. "At the Alaska summit, it was revolting to see President Trump lay out the red carpet, applaud and embrace Vladimir Putin, a murderous, indicted war criminal who has been waging war against the Ukrainians for more than a decade," she told SBS News. She said the stakes "could not be higher" for the meeting. "Ukraine deserves more than symbolic gestures — it deserves concrete commitments to its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and long-term security," she said.
"We are deeply worried by reports suggesting that the Trump administration has indicated territorial concessions may be on the table. Any proposal that legitimises aggression or redraws borders under duress is unacceptable. Peace must not come at the cost of justice."
Zelenskyy won't be alone this time European leaders will be joining the key meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump at the White House. It will be attended by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, as well as leaders from the UK, France, Finland, and Germany.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged a lack of trust between Putin and other world leaders, saying Ukraine should be a part of negotiations.
"We know that Mr Putin has designs on not just Ukraine. The concern is certainly there, and there is certainly a lack of trust between Mr Putin and European and other leaders of democracies," he told Sky News on Monday. "We stand with Ukraine, we want to see peace in the region. Ukraine must, of course, not have a solution imposed on it. They need to be a part of those negotiations."