White House: It's up to Ukraine to decide whether to negotiate with Putin

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has to determine how and when this war will end, as well as whether Ukraine is ready to hold diplomatic talks with Putin on peace and on what terms.

Source: John Kirby, White House National Security Council Coordinator, quoted by Ukrinform

Details: Asked whether it was time for Ukraine to consider negotiating with Russia, given that Congress has been unable to pass new aid, Kirby said: "You’ll be wholly unsatisfied by this answer. President Zelenskyy gets to determine how and when this war ends and under what conditions he’s willing to negotiate with Mr Putin."

He noted that Ukraine still faces the threat of a massive presence of Russian troops, and their number is only increasing as the Kremlin recruits more and more people ready to attack Ukraine. 

He also pointed out that the Russians are unlikely to just stay in defensive positions throughout the winter.

Kirby noted that Ukraine, for its part, is seeking more opportunities not only to defend itself, but also to launch a counter-offensive. It is therefore up to the President of Ukraine to determine what its future strategy will look like.

Quote: "What we’ve wanted to do since the beginning of this conflict is make sure that he [President Zelenskyy – ed.] has the tools to do that, and those tools are about to run out." 

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