Too early for peace talks between Russia & Ukraine, says US as battle for Donbas continues

pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said in a televised address that it may be too early for Moscow and Kyiv to discuss peace talks since neither side is ready to come to the negotiations table as Russia continues its assaults in the eastern Donbass region. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Kirby reiterated that it is “time for the US to continue to support Ukraine" when asked why US president Joe Biden isn't pushing the two warring sides to resume stalled dialogue and broker peace. Instead, Kirby replied that Washington's goal is to ensure that Ukraine gets to choose “how victory is decided” during the war and “on what terms.”

US does not want to see Ukraine 'defeated by Russia'

“We do not want to see Ukraine defeated by Russia and that is why we are continuing to rush aid and assistance,” Kirby told the broadcaster referring to the nearly $7 billion in aid approved by Biden administration for Ukraine.

When enquired if Ukraine was ready to hold talks for peace as Russia continues its brutal shelling on its soil, Kirby said, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “will tell you that the time is not now for those discussions.” he further claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has shown no indication that he is interested in negotiated talks."

Ukraine's top negotiator David Arakhamia meanwhile indicated that the prospects of dialogue may happen in late August, although he added that Ukraine desires to be in a stronger position to negotiate with Russia. Peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine stagnated after the former claimed that Kyiv, under the influence of the US, was making impossible demands. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov blamed Washington, London and Brussels for stalling the talks, saying that the West was using Kyiv for its strategic advantage and hegemony goals. "We always say that we are ready for negotiations ... but we were given no other choice," Lavrov asserted. Putin's adviser Dmitry Peskov told Kremlin-based press that it was the US and its allies that were “betting on the continued war” by supplying more weapons.