putin is eager to restore russia's regional influence and does not want peace — US State Department
The US administration is making all possible efforts to hold peace talks in Ukraine based on the UN Charter, international law, and world order, but the kremlin shows no interest in this.
Ukrinform reports that the First Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, Ambassador Dereck Hogan, made such a comment on Tuesday during a speech at the Atlantic Council.
"I think we are doing everything we can to create space for these diplomatic negotiations. But, I think it is also necessary to realize that russia shows absolutely no interest in negotiations that would preserve the viability of Ukraine as a state, as a democracy, and as a sovereign country," the representative of the State Department said.
He emphasized that the US president, the Secretary of State, and other administration representatives in Washington clearly stated that the Ukrainian side should determine the conditions for peace. In this regard, the diplomat recalled that President Volodymyr Zelensky laid it out in 10 points of the "Ukrainian peace formula" during the G20 summit in Bali. In particular, he called for the implementation of the UN Charter and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, the preservation of fundamental freedoms, and the world order.
However, the same day, putin launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure. This, as Hogan noted, was "the russians' response" and a demonstration of the kremlin's unwillingness for peace.
A high-ranking representative of the US State Department also noted that the real goals of the russian federation do not coincide with this approach.
"I think putin has clearly demonstrated that he wants to restore his influence — russia's influence — in the region," Hogan emphasized.
As reported, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressed doubts about the prospects of peace talks between russia and Ukraine the day before. In particular, he said that moscow was looking for a "fictitious way out of the situation" and had not demonstrated the seriousness of its intentions.
