AKP Phnom Penh, January 15, 2025 --

By raising Cambodia’s experience, the President of the Senate of Cambodia said that only the Ukrainian leader can decide whether to negotiate or not, not the head of NATO or other countries.

Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen made the remarks on his official social media networks this evening.

After Trump won the election and before Trump entered the White House on Jan. 20, 2025, there were many comments regarding the war in Ukraine that Trump supported peace negotiations, he said.

“Recently, the NATO chief said that (now Ukraine is not strong enough for peace talks with Russia). I am sure that the NATO chief meant the situation on the military front, which Ukraine is losing. Should we wait for Ukraine to gain an advantage on the military front before negotiating or should we start negotiating while in a state of war?” he asked. 

“For me, if we wait to gain an advantage on the military front before negotiating, we will have to wait for hundreds of years, which will only prolong the death and suffering of the people. There is no time for Ukraine to gain an advantage on the military front, not to mention Ukraine being alone, even if Ukraine becomes a member of NATO or the EU, the situation will remain the same,” Samdech Techo Hun Sen underlined.

In fact, he continued, in the past, NATO and EU forces, as well as the U.S., have already joined the fight by supporting Ukraine with all kinds of weapons, finance and logistics, as well as supporting politically and diplomatically to fight Russia, but the situation has worsened not only in Ukraine, but also in Europe itself and the world due to economic sanctions on Russia. (The sanctions aim to strangle Russia’s neck but they also hurt Europe's tongue).

“The experience that Cambodia has gone through is that the sooner the better. Negotiating while fighting is better than fighting alone. Foreign friends should encourage negotiations rather than hindering negotiations and pushing endless fighting,” Samdech Techo Hun Sen said. “Cambodia's experience is that finding and maintaining peace is up to Cambodia itself because foreign countries cannot decide for it. I think the same is true for Ukraine. Only the Ukrainian leader can decide whether to negotiate or not, not the head of NATO or other countries.”

By C. Nika