Prime Minister Addresses Attack on Nova Kakhovka Dam, Stresses the Need for Peaceful Negotiations
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
The Prime Minister addressed the attack on the Nova Kakhovka Dam by Russia in Ukraine, and said that the explosion of the Nova Kakhovka Dam is a consequence of the brutal and destructive war being waged by Russia in Ukraine. However, according to him, this destruction is not a new occurrence, as 20 percent of Ukraine's territory has already been destroyed.
Irakli Gharibashvili highlighted that there are no apparent sincere efforts to end the war or start negotiations. Instead, he noted a concerning trend of escalating aggression without meaningful progress towards resolution.
"This is one of the results of this brutal war, the destructive war that Russia is waging in Ukraine. This is not new, the Kakhovka surprised you, but 20 percent of Ukraine's territory has been destroyed to date. Cities, villages are leveled to the ground. Kakhovka Dam is one of them. This is what we are talking about when we refer to the importance of peace on a daily basis. There is no alternative to peace. We don't really see, and I don't think anyone does, any real efforts to end this war or calls for negotiations. On the contrary, we see more escalation, more aggression, this is one of the manifestations and to this day, we remind you that as a result of this destructive war in Ukraine, I repeat again, 20 percent is occupied, this is today's reality. It is said that a trillion dollars is the damage that has been done to Ukraine, and most of all, the lives of people are heavy. More than 500 children are dead and tens of thousands of people are dead. This is a disaster, this is a catastrophe that must be stopped," said Gharibashvili.
Gharibashvili expressed his belief that the logical end of the war can only be achieved through a collective effort to engage in peaceful negotiations. He emphasized that there is no alternative to this approach.
"I want to ask you, how do you imagine what could be the logical end of this war? I believe that everything should happen, everyone should make an effort to sit down to negotiate and start the process of peaceful negotiations. There is no alternative to this. I'll tell you why. Well, today you mentioned the dam, tomorrow there could be an even bigger disaster. The killing of people must be stopped; this is our position," Gharibashvili told journalists.
