Top US diplomat rules out Moscow-Kiev talks

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has ruled out negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, claiming that Moscow has not demonstrated its readiness for “constructive” talks.

He made the unsubstantiated remarks during a press briefing in Germany, demanding that Russia must first show its willingness to engage in "constructive negotiations" with the goal of a "just and lasting peace."

Blinken then went on to claim that although the idea of a ceasefire may be "tempting," it will not contribute to a "just and lasting peace" if it means "ratification" of Moscow’s control over the former Ukrainian territories that voted in a referendum to join the Russian federation following the start of its “special operation” in neighboring Ukraine aimed at protecting the country’s Russian-speaking population as well as blocking further eastward advance of the US-led NATO military alliance.

Moscow launched its special operation in Ukraine back in February 2022 in face of Kiev’s surging attacks on the pro-Russia Donbass republics and NATO’s failure to satisfy Russia’s persisting demands for security guarantees amid growing calls for Ukraine’s NATO membership, which would eventually place hostile Western military forces and weaponry on Russian border.

This is while Russian and Ukrainian delegations have engaged in several rounds of peace talks since the operations began, though the negotiations ultimately reached an impasse.

While Moscow has reiterated that it is open for talks with Kiev, Ukraine’s Western-sponsored President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree in October 2022 that would bar any negotiations with Russia.

Meanwhile, the US and its mostly European allies have persistently been supplying Kiev with advanced weaponry and other military hardware as well as providing training to Ukrainian armed forces.

Russia has repeatedly reiterated that the key objective of the US-led alliance backing the Kiev regime is to prolong the war in Ukraine, further warning that any military equipment shipped to Ukraine would constitute a legitimate target for Russian forces.

The US announced a new $2.6 billion military aid package for Ukraine earlier this month that would include tank munitions, air surveillance radars, anti-tank rockets and fuel trucks. 

ME