Blinken claimed during his meeting with German press on Friday that Russia had to demonstrate its willingness to engage in "constructive negotiations" with the goal of a "just and lasting peace."
Although the idea of a ceasefire may be "tempting," it will not contribute to a "just and lasting peace" if it means "ratification" of Moscow's control over the territories that joined Russia after the start of the military operation in Ukraine, Blinken said.
Moscow launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, amid the Kiev regime’s ramped-up attacks on the Donbass republics.
Ukrainian soldiers fire at Russian positions from a U.S.-supplied M777 howitzer
© AP Photo / Efrem Lukatsky
Russian and Ukrainian delegations have engaged in several rounds of peace talks since then, but the negotiations ultimately reached an impasse. Russia has insisted that it is open for talks with Ukraine, even after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree prohibiting negotiations with Moscow in October 2022.
In the meantime, the US and their allies have been supplying military equipment to Kiev and training Ukrainian personnel. Moscow has reiterated that the West’s aim is to prolong the conflict, and added that any military equipment in Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russian forces.