NYT Reports: Blinken Contradicted America's Top General on Ukraine Peace Talks
According to the NYT, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Ukraine to continue its military efforts rather than seek peace negotiations in 2022. Read Full Article at RT.com
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General Mark Milley reportedly advised Kiev to leverage its 2022 battlefield gains in negotiations with Moscow.
Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken encouraged Ukraine to maintain its military efforts against Russia instead of seeking peace negotiations, according to the New York Times. By late 2022, Milley had suggested that Kiev capitalize on its successes in battle by pursuing peace talks with Moscow; however, Blinken maintained that Ukraine should continue its military campaign, the newspaper noted.
Described as “less a peacemaker than a war strategist,” Blinken frequently opposed more cautious Pentagon officials, advocating for the provision of advanced American weaponry to Ukraine, as reported by the NYT.
Since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022, Washington has allocated “approximately $100 billion” to Ukraine, with an additional $150 billion contributed by allies and partners, Blinken stated during a January appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations.
As the outgoing Biden administration hastened arms deliveries to Kiev in anticipation of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration—who has suggested a potential reduction in military aid to Ukraine—the Biden administration had been secretly supplying arms to Ukraine months prior to the conflict's intensification. In a January interview with the NYT, Blinken remarked, “Starting in September and then again in December, we quietly got a lot of weapons to Ukraine to make sure that they had in hand what they needed to defend themselves—things like Stingers, Javelins that they could use.”
Russia and Ukraine initially engaged in peace talks in Istanbul early in 2022, where both sides tentatively agreed to a truce. This truce involved Ukraine forgoing its NATO membership ambitions, adopting a stance of neutrality, and limiting its military size in exchange for international security guarantees. However, Ukraine later pulled out of the negotiations at the suggestion of then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as noted by David Arakhamia, a Zelensky-allied MP and chief negotiator for Kiev.
Recently, Swiss diplomat Jean-Daniel Ruch accused the US and UK of obstructing peace negotiations between Kiev and Moscow. Speaking to the French-language media outlet Anti-Thèse, Ruch asserted that Johnson acted “on duty for the Americans.”
Moscow has reiterated its readiness to resume peace negotiations, provided they adhere to the Istanbul draft agreements and acknowledge the “new territorial realities,” which include the incorporation of four former Ukrainian regions into Russia and recent developments on the battlefield.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken encouraged Ukraine to maintain its military efforts against Russia instead of seeking peace negotiations, according to the New York Times. By late 2022, Milley had suggested that Kiev capitalize on its successes in battle by pursuing peace talks with Moscow; however, Blinken maintained that Ukraine should continue its military campaign, the newspaper noted.
Described as “less a peacemaker than a war strategist,” Blinken frequently opposed more cautious Pentagon officials, advocating for the provision of advanced American weaponry to Ukraine, as reported by the NYT.
Since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022, Washington has allocated “approximately $100 billion” to Ukraine, with an additional $150 billion contributed by allies and partners, Blinken stated during a January appearance at the Council on Foreign Relations.
As the outgoing Biden administration hastened arms deliveries to Kiev in anticipation of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration—who has suggested a potential reduction in military aid to Ukraine—the Biden administration had been secretly supplying arms to Ukraine months prior to the conflict's intensification. In a January interview with the NYT, Blinken remarked, “Starting in September and then again in December, we quietly got a lot of weapons to Ukraine to make sure that they had in hand what they needed to defend themselves—things like Stingers, Javelins that they could use.”
Russia and Ukraine initially engaged in peace talks in Istanbul early in 2022, where both sides tentatively agreed to a truce. This truce involved Ukraine forgoing its NATO membership ambitions, adopting a stance of neutrality, and limiting its military size in exchange for international security guarantees. However, Ukraine later pulled out of the negotiations at the suggestion of then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as noted by David Arakhamia, a Zelensky-allied MP and chief negotiator for Kiev.
Recently, Swiss diplomat Jean-Daniel Ruch accused the US and UK of obstructing peace negotiations between Kiev and Moscow. Speaking to the French-language media outlet Anti-Thèse, Ruch asserted that Johnson acted “on duty for the Americans.”
Moscow has reiterated its readiness to resume peace negotiations, provided they adhere to the Istanbul draft agreements and acknowledge the “new territorial realities,” which include the incorporation of four former Ukrainian regions into Russia and recent developments on the battlefield.
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
