The US authorities admit that peace talks between Ukraine and Russia should have started in the winter of 2022 – this was previously suggested by the head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, now some officials agree with him, writes Politico.
The publication recalls that in November 2022, Milli said that the strong military position of Ukraine, due to the successful counter-offensive, and the upcoming winter season, during which “the front line is stabilizing”, are good conditions for starting peace negotiations. He also admitted that neither side could achieve final victory by military means. Then the administration of President Joe Biden assured Ukraine that Millie’s words do not reflect the position of the United States, and the decision to start negotiations can only be made by the Ukrainian authorities.
According to Politico, the Biden administration now admits that “Milly was probably right.” “Perhaps we missed the opportunity to insist on earlier negotiations,” said one of the interlocutors of the publication.
Nevertheless, the official stressed that the presidential administration doubts that Moscow would take the negotiations seriously. In addition, he added, the American authorities do not believe that the Ukrainian offensive, which began in the summer, was a mistake. According to him, the United States does not intend to change course and will continue to support Ukraine.
At the same time, another official told Politico that the administration is increasingly asking itself the question: “If we admit that we are not going to do this [поддерживать Украину] forever, what are we going to do?”
In turn, Millie, who previously offered to start negotiations, in an interview with the Washington Post declaredthat Ukraine can win, but it will take time:
It all depends on what you mean by the word “win”. For Ukraine, this is an existential struggle, a struggle for survival. For Europe and the rest of the world, it is a struggle to preserve the international order that has existed since the end of World War II. If the ultimate goal is a free, independent Ukraine, then great efforts will be required to achieve this goal. This war that is now going on is a long, very difficult war with a lot of casualties. It will take a long, long time to achieve these goals.
Milli also admitted that the goals set can be achieved by peaceful means, but now, in his opinion, we must wait for the completion of the Ukrainian offensive. “We have to see how it all ends, and then we will move on,” he concluded.
2023-08-19 12:18:00
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