State Department: We Want To See A 'Just Peace And A Lasting Peace' Between Ukraine And Russia

3 months ago

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller was asked about potential peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.

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Transcript

00:00The President Zelensky, after returning, has talked about the potential of a second peace

00:05summit and this time Russia would be invited.

00:08Is that something that was sort of encouraged by U.S. officials while he was here?

00:13He said it just after getting back.

00:14MR.

00:15RATHKE It's something that we discussed with them,

00:16but as we have said before, any decisions around diplomatic negotiations are decisions

00:21that Ukraine has to make, not the United States, not any other country that's not party to

00:25this conflict.

00:26Ukraine is the victim here.

00:27It's Ukraine that has seen their country invaded, has seen their civilians killed,

00:31has seen significant parts of their country occupied.

00:34And so it's for Ukraine to decide when and how and in what shape to undertake diplomatic

00:41negotiations.

00:42As their partner, as their backer, we will support them if that's the path that they

00:46choose to take.

00:47We have always made that clear.

00:48And I will note, and this kind of goes to how the Kremlin has responded, at least initially,

00:53to those statements from Ukraine.

00:56We always supported diplomacy when Ukraine is ready, but it has never been clear that

01:00the Kremlin is ready for actual diplomacy.

01:04That was clear at the beginning of this war when we were pursuing diplomacy and the Kremlin

01:10pulled the plug on diplomacy and invaded, and it remains – seems to remain true today.

01:15But we will continue to stand with Ukraine if and when they believe further diplomatic

01:21steps are – with Russia are appropriate.

01:26We will support them in that decision.

01:27QUESTION.

01:28But that is a change that previously they held a peace conference and didn't invite

01:32Russia.

01:33So doesn't that show an unwillingness from the Ukrainians to engage in sort of – you

01:39might not agree on everything, but you could at least bring them to the table.

01:41MR.

01:42RATHKE.

01:43So I guess – correct, but the difference is – there's just a fundamental difference

01:49between Ukraine and Russia in this conflict in that one is the aggressor, one is the victim.

01:53And so we do look at the victim differently than the aggressor, right?

01:56It's just a fundamental fact of this conflict, that it was Russia that launched this war,

02:02Russia that is occupying Ukraine, Russia that continues to launch assaults, Russia that

02:06can end it – the conflict today by withdrawing back to their borders.

02:10And so, of course, we look at them differently because one has the moral high ground and

02:13one does not.

02:15But our position with respect to negotiations hasn't changed, and that's when – if

02:19and when Ukraine is ready to pursue either direct negotiations or direct diplomacy or

02:24some other form of diplomacy, we will support them in that decision.

02:27QUESTION.

02:28And from this administration's point of view, there's basically no – there's

02:31no point at which you would tell Ukraine that you need to come to the table now.

02:38That's never going to be – I guess I'm asking because depending on who might be the

02:44vice presidential pick for the Republican nominee and things that the Republican nominee

02:51has spoken about Ukraine, it seems like there's a high – there's a reasonable possibility,

02:57depending on which way you think the election is going to go, that early next year the situation

03:01is going to look quite different.

03:02So from the Ukrainian's point of view, do you think they might be responding to U.S.

03:07political realities by making this step?

03:10I am not going to speculate or comment in any way on why the Ukrainians might be making

03:16that decision, other than to say that lots of times you hear people say we want to see

03:21peace in Ukraine.

03:22Of course, we want to see peace too.

03:24We want it to be a just peace – not just any peace, but a just peace and a lasting

03:28peace.

03:29And so we'll support Ukraine in the decisions that they make to try to achieve that just

03:32peace.

03:33Can I follow up on that?

03:34Yeah.

03:35So is it –

State Department: We Want To See A 'Just Peace And A Lasting Peace' Between Ukraine And Russia

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