The U.S. Representative to the United Nations: The Initiative in Ukraine Talks Lies with Russia

Washington, December 24 - RIA Novosti

Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. Representative to NATO in Washington, believes that in the Ukraine talks, "the ball" (i.e., the initiative) lies with Russia.

He commented on the Ukraine negotiation process during a program on Fox News Channel, saying, "The ball is currently with Russia."

Whitaker added that President Donald Trump and his negotiation team continue to make great efforts to end the conflict.

Last weekend, Kirill Dmitriev, Russia's special representative for foreign investment and economic cooperation and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, met with U.S. presidential envoy Steve Wetenkow and the son-in-law of the U.S. leader, Jared Kushner, in Miami.

The U.S. administration had previously announced that it was working on a solution to the Ukraine issue. The Kremlin stated that Russia remains open to negotiations and continues to base its discussions on the Anchorage (meeting) platform.

On December 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wetenkow and Kushner at the Kremlin. This U.S. delegation's visit to Russia was related to the process of discussing the U.S.-proposed peace plan for Ukraine. According to Putin, the U.S. had divided the 27 points into four packages and proposed discussing them separately.

Yuri Ushakov, a presidential aide, said the content of the meetings in the Kremlin was very substantial and added that contacts between Russia and the U.S. would continue. Meanwhile, Ushakov pointed out that the success of the Russian army on the battlefield has had a positive impact on the process and nature of the negotiations.

Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian president, also said that the Kiev regime must make a decision and start negotiations. During the Russian military operation, the freedom of choice for Kiev's decisions is shrinking, which is precisely the way to force the Kiev regime to seek a peaceful resolution. For Kiev, continuing the confrontation is harmful and beneficial.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1852344122983436/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.