Ukraine must choose between 'continuing the fight or seeking to negotiate a ceasefire,' says Blinken

In a wide-ranging interview with MSNBC on December 19, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed prospects for a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, as well as support for the embattled country ahead of the inauguration by President-elect Donald Trump in January.

“I want to make sure we give the new administration and the Ukrainians the strongest possible hand through 2025,” Blinken said in a statement. interview on MSNBC Morning Joe. “The Ukrainians must make fundamental decisions about whether to continue fighting or to negotiate to try to achieve a ceasefire. The fundamental question is whether Russia is ready to do this and to do so good faith.”

“If that happens, we want to make sure that the Ukrainians and the Trump administration have the best hand to play in making the strongest deal possible. And that means trying to strengthen Ukraine’s position on the battlefield “added Blinken.

Comments from the outgoing manager intervene Asset committed to obtaining the United States “of Russia’s War and negotiate a quick peace agreement. Ukrainian officials urged the president-elect to maintain his support and adopt a “peace through strength” approach in his relations with Russia.

The Wall Street Journal reported on December 12, citing undisclosed official sources, that Trump wanted European troops to monitor a possible cease-fire in Ukraine. Trump reportedly made the comments during his speech. December 7 meeting with Zelensky and French President Macron in Paris.

“If this results in a ceasefire, and this ceasefire is established under fair and lasting conditions, that would be a good thing. But for this ceasefire to be lasting, there must be to have some kind of assurance that Russia is not involved I’m just going to rest, rehabilitate and attack again,” Blinken added in the interview.

During a visit to Brussels to meet European leaders on December 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea of freezing the conflict without effective security guarantees, adding that this would allow Russia to “buy time” to regroup in preparation for another attack.

On December 18, Zelensky said he was “discussing ideas with European leaders” about the potential deployment of European peacekeeping forces to the war-torn country.

On December 13, Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office, said that kyiv was not ready to start negotiations with Russia because it lacks sufficient Western support to engage from a position of strength.

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