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White House says only Zelenskyy can decide on Russia peace talks, US doesn’t press Kyiv to negotiate – AFP

Russia pretext invasion
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby briefs reporters about the Russian plans to create a graphic propaganda video to justify invading Ukraine. Early February 2022. Screenshot from briefing

On 18 November, the White House said that only Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can decide to open peace talks with Russia, rejecting the notion that it was pressing Kyiv to negotiate, AFP reported according to France 24.

“We all agree that a diplomatic negotiated settlement is the next best thing to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin just pulling his troops out,” said White House national security spokesman John Kirby.

[quote]”We have also said that Zelenskyy gets to determine if and when he’s ready for negotiations and what those negotiations look like,” Kirby told reporters. “Nobody from the United States is pushing, prodding, or nudging him to the table.”[/quote]

“Those conversations aren’t happening because President Zelenskyy has made it clear that he’s not ready for that,” Kirby said. “And you can’t blame him,” he said of Zelenskyy, because Moscow itself has indicated it is not ready for talks.

The White House representative also confirmed that the US side continues to follow the “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” principle, according to UkrInform.

Previously, the Pentagon’s top general Mark Milley suggested that Kyiv could take advantage of its victories and open talks with Russia toward ending the war. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said that the Ukrainian military will not accept any negotiations until Russia leaves all captured territories.

 

Read also:

Russia is not in a position to dictate its terms — Ukraine’s MFA on Russian refusal to negotiate on Ukrainian terms

Negotiations cannot end the Russian war against Ukraine, they can only pause it – ISW

Now is not the time for Russia-Ukraine “peace” negotiations

 

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