US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has said that Vladimir Putin's goal is to erase Ukraine's identity as an independent, sovereign nation and absorb it into Russia.

"This war is an attack not only on Ukraine, but also on the rules-based international order that seeks to defend international peace and stability and uphold, according to the United Nations Charter, 'the equal rights of men and women and peoples great and small. ", Blinken pointed out at a virtual panel session on the topic "Just and lasting peace in Ukraine", before tomorrow's opening of the second Democracy Summit

He reminded that victims of Russian aggression are not only Ukrainians, but also people around the world, according to the State Department's statement.

"For peace to be just, it must uphold the principles at the heart of the UN Charter – sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence. And for the peace to be lasting, it must ensure that Russia cannot rest and train its troops, and then start a war again at a time that is more favorable for it", said the US Secretary of State and added that it is not only for the future of Ukraine, but also for the future of the international order.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, said that Russia aims to destroy the world order based on international law and the UN Charter.

"The Ukrainian people will accept peace only if it guarantees the complete cessation of Russian aggression, the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory and the restoration of the territorial integrity of our country within the internationally recognized borders," said the Ukrainian minister, noting that the peace plan was recognized and approved by United Nations General Assembly.

He added that Russia has resorted to nuclear blackmail and threats, as well as threats to environmental and energy stability and food security, and the aggression has been followed by heinous crimes, with tens of thousands of civilians believed to have been killed in Mariupol.