Peace in Ukraine cannot come “at any cost”, Scotland’s First Minister has said.
Talks between US and Ukrainian leaders in recent days appear to be making progress on reaching a deal, including reports of a 15-year security guarantee from America.
But territory remains one of the “thorny issues” where agreement has not been reached, with reports suggesting the Donbas region of the country could be demilitarised and turned into a “free economic zone”, while Kyiv has continued to resist Russian attempts to take control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of the country.
Speaking to the Press Association on Monday, John Swinney said: “I think the territorial integrity of Ukraine is essential in any peace deal.
“It is vital that the independence and the territorial integrity of Ukraine is protected.
“This was an illegal invasion by Russia – we should never forget that point, Ukraine was not the aggressor, it was invaded by an external power and it should not have been, because the territorial integrity of Ukraine should have been respected.”
He added: “I obviously want to see a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, but I don’t want to see it at any cost, where an aggressor – a barbarous aggressor like Vladimir Putin – is in any way rewarded for an illegal invasion of Ukraine, because the territorial integrity of countries matters in maintaining peace and stability in the world.”
Since the Russian invasion, thousands of refugees have come to Scotland.
Addressing the refugees, Mr Swinney said: “To them, I want to say two things: first of all, they are very much in our hearts, because we know how disruptive and damaging this process has been to them and to say they are welcome.
“But also to say, secondly, that we remain in solidarity with Ukraine in maintaining its independence and its territorial integrity which is vital to the peace and stability of Ukraine in the years to come.”
