At present, the end of the war in Ukraine depends on the will and decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was stated by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Censor.NET reports citing Voice of America.
Blinken once again stressed that the war in Ukraine was a "strategic defeat" for Russia, as Russia is now weaker economically, militarily and diplomatically.
According to Blinken, Russia "has reoriented its economy in a way that is not sustainable. It may work in the short term, but it cannot be sustained in the long term. And overall, Russia is weaker economically, it's weaker militarily, given the destruction of so many of its forces, and it's weaker diplomatically in most of the world, not all of the world, but most of the world."
According to him, Ukrainians are more united than ever, including against Russia, "which was not the case before 2014". The North Atlantic Alliance has also become more cohesive, with Sweden and Finland joining the alliance, an event that was unimaginable just a few years ago, the diplomat said. At the same time, Europe has been able to get rid of its dependence on Russian energy resources in the two years since the war in Ukraine began.
"All of this, I believe, is a huge strategic defeat for Russia. In many ways, Putin has accelerated a lot of things that he was trying to prevent. I hope there is recognition of that," Blinken said.
Detailing Ukraine's long-term prospects, Blinken explained that more than 30 countries have either completed negotiations or will soon conclude negotiations on bilateral security commitments with Ukraine. This will lay the foundation for Ukraine's ability to deter and defend itself against aggression in the future.
At the same time, the US Secretary of State believes that the end of the war "largely depends on Vladimir Putin and what he decides", taking into account all the factors.
"All of the above is the most powerful response to Putin, because it shows that Ukraine will not only survive, but will be able to prosper in the future. Therefore, I hope that Mr Putin will understand the message and demonstrate his willingness to negotiate in good faith, in accordance with the basic principles that are the basis of the international community, the UN Charter - sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence. If these are properly confirmed, there should be a solution," Blinken said.
"As soon as Russia demonstrates that it is sincerely willing to negotiate, we will definitely be there. And I believe that the Ukrainians will be there as well," the head of the State Department said.
