Ukraine war nearing endgame, final step will be hardest – US ambassador
Photo: US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker (Getty Images)
A settlement of Russia’s war against Ukraine is closer than ever, but the final steps to end the conflict will be the most difficult, according to Matthew Whitaker.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation in California, he said the parties to the conflict in Ukraine are closer to a peace agreement than at any point before.
According to him, a “real proposal” is already on the table, and negotiations have entered a decisive phase.
Whitaker said the parties were now closer to an agreement than at any previous point, noting that the talks had reached the stage where the remaining task was essentially to finalize the deal.
He likened the current phase of negotiations to the closing moments of an American football game, emphasizing that the final step is typically the most difficult.
According to Whitaker, just as gaining the last yard in the red zone is the hardest part of the game, completing the final stage of these negotiations will not be easy, though he expressed cautious optimism about the outcome.
Whitaker’s statements
A week earlier, on January 6, Whitaker made a similar statement on Fox News, saying that a peace deal was “at the doorstep.”
On December 31, the US ambassador to NATO said negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war had entered a critical phase.
Earlier, the American diplomat stated that it is entirely possible to resolve the war in Ukraine and achieve lasting peace within the next 90 days. The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to apply pressure on both sides — Russia and Ukraine.
