The United States demands “proposals” from Russia and Ukraine, otherwise it threatens to withdraw from the talks
30 April 08:35
The US State Department has reiterated its threat to withdraw from the “peace” talks in the Russian-Ukrainian war, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States would withdraw from the negotiation process if the parties do not show progress in the near future.
This time, the threat was voiced by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. And the threat was already more advanced than the previous one and contained a specific demand to the parties.
“Now is the time for both sides to come up with concrete proposals on how to end this conflict.”
– the State Department spokeswoman quoted Rubio as saying.
Bruce said that the parties are expected, first and foremost, to implement a complete ceasefire:
“Not a three-day one so that we can celebrate something… A full, lasting ceasefire and an end to the conflict.”
If not, the United States will withdraw from the process, the spokeswoman said. However, she clarified that Trump, of course, has the final say.
“The decision on how to proceed now belongs to the president… If there is no progress, we will abandon our role as mediators in this process,”
– bruce said.
Earlier, Trump promised the Estonian president that he would not withdraw from the “peace” process in the Russian-Ukrainian war.
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the “peace” process
In recent weeks, the administration of US President Donald Trump has increased pressure on the parties to the conflict, demanding that Kyiv and Moscow take concrete steps to end the war.
Statements about the possible withdrawal of the United States from the process have caused concern in Ukraine and among European allies. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that such a move by the United States would be “not a very good signal” and stressed the importance of the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States. At the same time, according to the Financial Times, Europe fears that Trump may use the lack of progress as an excuse to withdraw from the peace talks.
In response to the U.S. State Department’s ultimatum statements about a possible withdrawal from the peace talks, the positions of Russia and Ukraine remain irreconcilable.
The Kremlin, through its spokesman Dmitry Peskov, announced “some progress” in the talks, but emphasized that contacts with Washington are “difficult.” Moscow continues to insist on the recognition of the annexed territories, Ukraine’s renunciation of NATO membership, and the lifting of sanctions as preconditions for peace. Putin’s proposal for a three-day ceasefire on May 9 was perceived as a symbolic gesture with no real substance, especially as missile attacks on Ukrainian cities continued.
Ukraine, for its part, strongly rejects any territorial concessions. Zelenskyy called Putin’s proposal “manipulative” and emphasized that Kyiv supports the US initiative for a 30-day complete ceasefire, which Moscow currently rejects. The Ukrainian side also warned that the US withdrawal from the negotiation process could be perceived as a signal of weakness that would only intensify Russia’s aggression.
