Secretary Blinken: Ukraine faces key decision on continuing fight or seeking ceasefire

On December 19, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Ukrainians have to make fundamental decisions about carrying on the fight or looking to negotiate and try to bring this to a ceasefire. 

According to Blinken, Ukraine must strengthen its position both militarily and economically to ensure it has the upper hand in any future negotiations with Russia, Caliber.Az reports per US Department of State.

He outlined the importance of maintaining pressure on Russia, which he said has been feeling the weight of international sanctions over the past two years.

"Everything that Russia tries to do takes longer, costs more, and is harder to do," Blinken stated, referring to the ongoing challenges faced by Russian forces. 

He also noted the significant losses Russia has suffered on the battlefield, highlighting the heavy toll on Russian soldiers sent into battle.

Blinken further stressed that should negotiations lead to a ceasefire, it must be based on fair and sustainable terms. A key concern, he said, is ensuring that Russia does not use the pause to regroup and launch further attacks in the future. "For a ceasefire to be durable, there has to be some kind of assurance that Russia will not simply rest, refit, and reattack in a year, two years, or five years," Blinken explained.

Looking ahead, Blinken suggested that if a ceasefire agreement is reached, it would mark a major victory for Ukraine. "It’s a country that is standing strongly as an independent country," he said, reiterating that Ukraine's survival and resilience represent a significant setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin's goals. "He’s failed. Ukraine can stand strongly on its own feet—militarily, economically, democratically."

Finally, Blinken expressed confidence that former President Donald Trump, if re-elected, would aim for a strong and effective deal, ensuring Ukraine remains secure in the long term.

To recap, Donald Trump has claimed that, if re-elected, he would bring an end to the war in Ukraine before his inauguration, citing his respect from both Ukrainian and Russian leaders.

“That is a war that’s dying to be settled. I will get it settled before I even become president,” Trump said during his debate with Kamala Harris.

“If I win, when I’m president-elect and what I’ll do is I’ll speak to one, I’ll speak to the other, I’ll get them together.”

“I know Zelenskyy very well, and I know Putin very well. I have a good relationship, and they respect your president, O.K., they respect me, they don’t respect Biden,” he added.

By Aghakazim Guliyev