US State Department calls ceasefire in Ukraine the only topic of negotiations with Russia
Tammy Bruce, spokesperson for the US State Department (Photo: flickr by US Department of State)
The administration of US President Donald Trump emphasizes that the priority issue in negotiations with Russia remains the ceasefire in Ukraine, according to the US Department of State.
According to US Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce during a press conference, until there is progress on the ceasefire issue, nothing else can be discussed.
She responded to media questions regarding the fact that on Friday, it will be 30 days since Ukraine effectively signed the ceasefire agreement, while Russia has refused and continued delays, as well as ongoing shelling.
"I think everyone understands the perspective is that President Trump is involved in this. We’ve got the best diplomats in the world with certainly being led by Secretary Rubio. All of our leadership, but particularly President Trump and Secretary Rubio in public, have made it clear what’s at stake when it comes to the nature of this situation ending. It is a dynamic that will not be solved militarily," said Bruce.
According to her, this is a dynamic that cannot be resolved through military means.
"It is a meat grinder. There is – nothing else can be discussed for the outcome until the shooting and the killing stops," emphasized the State Department spokesperson.
She reminded that at the NATO press conference, Rubio made it clear that we will find out in a few weeks whether Russia is serious about the ceasefire issue.
"And so we’ll take that – him at his word, certainly, as we do. And I think Russia certainly needs to take that seriously, and we’ll play that out. This is not going to go on for six months or a year or anything else. And the President has also made it clear we want diplomacy. But the fact is, is that we’re watching and judging as this process continues," said Bruce.
Issue of a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia
Ukraine agreed in March to Washington's proposal for a full ceasefire with Russia for 30 days. However, Moscow has not consented to this, instead presenting several conditions, including halting Western aid to Ukraine, lifting sanctions, and Ukraine's refusal to mobilize, among others.
Recently, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov called the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire unacceptable. He believes that such initiatives do not solve Russia’s problems.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia might agree to a 30-day ceasefire if the US applied pressure on them.
At the same time, on April 10, US President Trump stated that the US hopes to soon reach an agreement with Ukraine and Russia on halting hostilities.
