War in Ukraine: US urges Kyiv to show willingness to talk with Moscow

The US is privately encouraging Ukraine to signal it is open to negotiations with Russia, the Washington Post reported today, with the State Department saying Moscow is escalating the war and is not serious about engaging in peace talks.

The newspaper cites anonymous imgs according to which the urging of US officials is not aimed at bringing Ukraine to the negotiating table, but is a deliberate attempt to ensure that Kyiv retains the support of other countries.

U.S. and Ukrainian officials acknowledged that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s refusal to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin has raised concerns in some countries in Europe, Africa and Latin America, where the war’s effects on food costs and fuel are more noticeable, according to the publication.

Zelensky signed a decree on Oct. 4 officially calling the prospect of any 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 credibility of the information.

A State Department spokesman responded: “We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Actions speak louder than words. If Russia is ready to negotiate, it should stop its bombs and missiles and withdraw its forces from Ukraine.”

“The Kremlin continues to escalate this war. The Kremlin has demonstrated its reluctance to seriously engage in negotiations before even invading Ukraine.”

The spokesman also pointed to Zelensky’s statements on Friday, in which he said: “We are ready for peace, for a just peace, the prescription for which we have expressed many times.”