WASHINGTON/KYIV, Nov 6 (Reuters) – The United States is privately urging Ukraine to express its openness to negotiations with Russia, the Washington Post reported, as the State Department said Moscow was flying war and was not serious about fighting for peace. he speaks
The newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying that the request of the American leaders was not aimed at the negotiating table with Ukraine, but a calculated attempt to keep Kyiv’s support from other countries.
US and Ukrainian officials have acknowledged that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s ban on talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin has generated concern in parts of Europe, Africa and the Americas, where the effects of the war on food and fuel costs are being felt most acutely, the Post said.
“Ukraine fatigue is an issue for some of our partners,” the unnamed US official said.
Zelenskiy decided on October 4 that he would formally declare the prospect of any Ukrainian talks with Putin “impossible”, but leaving the door open for talks with Russia.
The White House National Security Council had no immediate comment on the accuracy of the report.
A Department spokesman responded: “We’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Actions speak louder than words. If Russia is ready to negotiate, it must stop the bombs and missiles and withdraw its forces from Ukraine.”
“The Kremlin continues to evade this war. The Kremlin has shown that it does not want to be serious about business, even before it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”
The spokesman also noted the words of Zelenskiy on Friday, in which he said: “We are ready for peace, for the most just and fair peace, about which we have heard many times.”
In a late-night speech to the Ukrainian people on Friday, Zelenskiy added: “The world knows our dignity. This is respect for the UN Charter, respect for our territorial integrity, respect for people.”
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said during a visit to Kyiv on Friday that Washington’s support for Ukraine would remain “unwavering and unwavering” after Tuesday’s midterm congressional elections.
The United States has announced $300 million worth of additional security assistance to Ukraine, including aircraft for the Czech Republic and HAWK air defense missiles that could be used against Russian drones and cruise missiles.
The new aid brought the amount of US military aid sent to Kyiv to more than $18.2 billion since the invasion.
THE BATTLE
In the latest sign of Russia’s retreat in the most bitterly contested areas of Ukraine, Putin officially approved the evacuation of civilians from parts of Kherson region in southern Ukraine on Friday.
This appeared to be the first time that Putin had personally confirmed the evacuations, although Moscow was targeting people from an area he dominates in Kherson on the west bank of the Dnipro River.
Last week, Russia said the evacuation zone would also include a 15-km (10-mile) buffer zone on the east bank.
Kyiv says the measures included deportations of civilians, a war crime that Russia denies.
Putin’s comments came amid signs that Russia may be preparing to leave military footprints on the west bank of the Dnipro, including in the city of Kherson.
The regional capital is the only large Russian city captured intact since the February attack. The loss of Russian forces would be one of the worst blows of the war.
Pictures have been circulated on the internet showing the main administration building in the city of Kherson with the Russian flag already flying above. Kyiv is cautious, saying such signs could be a Russian deception to lure Ukrainian forces into a trap.
The fiercest fighting had taken place in the past week around Bakhmut and Soledar, in the eastern Donetsk region about 500 km (300 miles) northeast of Kherson, Zelenskiy said late Friday.
Reporting by Reuters offices; Michael Perry wrote; Editing by William Mallard
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