Norwegian Prime Minister: Ceasefire must precede peace talks between Russia and Ukraine

Norway has proposed a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine before the start of peace negotiations, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said during a joint press conference in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Report's Eastern European bureau.

“As the Kingdom of Norway, our proposal is that there should be an immediate ceasefire before peace talks begin. The daily mass killings must stop,” he said.

In his view, a ceasefire would also help make peace negotiations more effective:

“By the way, this was initially also an idea from our American partners. As for security guarantees for Ukraine, in our opinion, the best way is unlimited support for the Ukrainian army. Ukraine’s own strength is the greatest guarantee of its national security,” he added.