If Russia shows willingness to negotiate, US will definitely be there – Blinken
If the Russian Federation shows a desire to hold peace talks, the United States will definitely "be there," United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a conversation with the president of the World Economic Forum Borge Brende in Saudi Arabia.
Washington managed to rally countries around the world to help Kyiv due to the understanding that Russia's aggression is directed not only against Ukraine, but also against the fundamental principles of the world order. Blinken noted that the end of the war currently depends on Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and his further decisions.
"I hope that Mr. Putin gets the message and demonstrates a willingness to genuinely negotiate consistent with the basic principles that are at the heart of the international community and the UN Charter: sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence. If those are appropriately affirmed, there should be a resolution," the diplomat said.
The US state secretary believes that the war in Ukraine has become a strategic defeat for the Russian Federation. Moscow had to make "extraordinary" effort to circumvent export controls and sanctions. He noted that the Russian Federation has reoriented its economy in a way that is not sustainable.
"It can’t be sustained in the long term. And in the aggregate, Russia is weaker economically, it’s weaker militarily given the destruction of so many of its forces, and it is weaker diplomatically in much of the world – not all of it, but in much of it." Blinken stressed.
The diplomat believes that this is a strategic failure for Russia.
"In many ways Putin has precipitated many of the things he’s sought to prevent. I hope that there’s recognition of that. And look, the minute that Russia demonstrates that it’s genuinely willing to negotiate, we’ll certainly be there, and I believe the Ukrainians will be there," Blinken said.
On January 15, Ukraine and Switzerland started preparations for the Global Peace Summit.
On April 8, Bloomberg reported that from 80 to 100 countries will be invited to the summit on the resolution of the war in Ukraine.
On April 10, the Swiss Federal Council announced that the Global Peace Summit will be held on June 15-16. Russia will not take part in it.
On April 24, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Russian Federation wants to disrupt the peace summit and has a plan to do it.