Arseniy Yatsenyuk: The only acceptable format of negotiations with Russia is the one with the participation of the U.S. and the EU

The format of the negotiations with the Russian Federation can only be the one launched in Geneva. "Our allies are the United States of America, the European Union, the G7 states. The aggressor country is the Russian Federation. Therefore, the only acceptable format is Geneva, the U.S., the EU, Ukraine and Russia ", - said Arseniy Yatsenyuk in an interview with Ukrainian television channels on Friday, August 22.

In order to prepare this format and to reach certain understanding, the Prime Minister considers necessary “to hold any negotiations, to use every chance and every opportunity to resolve this conflict": "We must stop the war. We should stop Russia".

Answering a question about the forthcoming talks in Minsk with the participation of Russian President, Arseniy Yatsenyuk stated: "My mind understands we need these talks. But my heart cannot understand how to sit at the negotiation table with them [the Russian side - ed.]. So let me use here a rather cold and pragmatic approach - it is vital to use every tool and method to stop the Russian military aggression".

He stressed that the Ukrainian side had prepared a package of requirements. Task number one, according to the Head of the Government, is to regain control of the border: "This will enable us to regain control over our territories."

"The Russian officials must cease supplies of weapons, which is directly connected with the restoring of control over the border; withdraw their GRU[Main Intelligence Directorate], FSB [Federal Security Service] officers and other agents who penetrated into the Ukraine, neither yesterday nor the day before - they have been planning this operation for decades," said Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

"You can be certain that Russia planned this aggression just after the Orange Revolution of 2004, because Vladimir Putin felt threat personally for himself and his regime," he added. 

 The PM emphasized that it is hard for Ukraine to overcome the Russian military aggression on its own: "Therefore, we must determine who is for us and who is against us. Russia is against us. Not the Russian country, but the Russian state, which has a nuclear button, which is not a member of G8 anymore, but a member of a great club of nuclear states, which is heavily armed".