ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Diplomatic means are “vital” to end the Russia-Ukraine war, the Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said, emphasizing the need for de-escalation and stopping combat.
“We need to finally use the most powerful instrument of diplomacy, not just military, not just economic support, but it is vitally important to mobilize diplomacy to solve this problem,” Radev told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda on Tuesday in response to a question regarding the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, on the sidelines of the UN General assembly in New York.
The war, according to Radev, continues “because so far both sides hope to achieve victory."
“But can we define what does a victory mean? It is impossible to succeed through military solution … only diplomacy can solve this,” said the Bulgarian president.
Two years into the invasion, Russian missile and drone strikes have crippled Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and compelled Kyiv to import power from the EU and ration its electricity.
The theme for this year’s week-long UNGA is “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generations,” according to the UN.
This year’s UNGA comes as conflicts rage in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and other countries, and amid intensifying hostilities and clashes between Israel and Lebanon - sparking fears of an all-out war.
