Peace talks between Moscow and Kiev would be a “logical choice,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff chair says
Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine would be a “logical choice” to end the conflict, General Mark Milley, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Tuesday.
Milley, in an interview with Fox News was asked what the likely outcome of fighting between Moscow and Kiev.
“Now you’ve got a very significant operational fight going on in the Donbass between the Ukrainian and the Russian militaries. How that shapes up in the next few weeks will probably in large part shape the outcomes of what will happen,”He stated.
The general consensus is that the conflict “could end up as a grind and go on and on; [it could end up in] a stalemate; it could end up with one side or the other having a decisive victory; it could end up in a peace negotiation.”
Milley reiterated this later. “a negotiated outcome is a logical choice, but both sides have to come to that conclusion on their own.”
“There’s always a possibility of escalation. And we have to closely manage the escalation… and prevent this thing from expanding into something much more horrific than it already is,”He was very clear.
Also, the general was asked for his thoughts on Kiev’s recent statements that Moscow was ultimately responsible for settling its differences.
“This is a war between Ukraine and Russia. How this ends on the battlefield is going to be determined by President (Volodymyr) Zelensky and President (Vladimir) Putin,”He stated.
Washington supported Kiev throughout the conflict and provided weapons, intelligence, money, and funding. A $40 billion aid package was approved by Joe Biden earlier in the month.
Moscow believes that US aid to Kiev has only escalated and prolonged fighting. The conflict in Ukraine was described by Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, as an American-led NATO alliance proxy war against Russia.
Milley isn’t the only notable Western figure to call for a negotiated solution to the Ukraine conflict in recent days, amid a steady Russian advancement in the Donbass and claims by Ukrainian officials that the situation on the ground is “extremely bad”Kiev
Josep Borrell (EU foreign policy chief) said that Ukraine should receive more weapons and the EU should impose additional sanctions on Russia. This would help Kiev win the future peace talks. Just over a month ago, Borrell was insisting that “this war must be won on the battlefield”Ukraine
Russia attacked Ukraine in late February, following Kiev’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, first signed in 2014, and Moscow’s eventual recognition of the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. French and German-brokered protocols were intended to grant the regions that broke away special status in the Ukrainian state.
In recent years, the Kremlin demands that Ukraine declares itself to be neutral so that it can join NATO. Kiev maintains that Russia’s offensive was not provoked and denies claims it planned to seize the two republics.
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