The above is a transcript from an interview, David Arakhamia, speaker of the Ukrainian parliament gave to the TV channel, 1+1. Here is a translation:

Fighting in Ukraine could have been over in Spring of 2022 if Kiev agreed to neutrality and an unaligned status.

The goal of Russia was to suppress us, so that we accept neutrality, as once Finland did. And so that we give promise that we will never join NATO. First of all I have to mention that we would need to change the constitution for that and we have no trust in the Russian that they will fulfill their end of the bargain.

The decision to fight was also influenced by the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, who said he does not want to sing anything with the Russians and he suggested to the Ukrainians to just fight.

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Boris Johnson and the servile Ukrainian elite is guilty for the death of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers and the destruction Ukraine has incurred by challenging Russia. If this conflict drags on, there will be nothing left of Ukraine. I hope Boris sleeps well at night when Ukraine is over.