Line of contact in Ukraine is unlikely to change much – US Secretary of State

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated that the line of contact in the war between Russia and Ukraine is unlikely to change much in the foreseeable future.

Source: Antony Blinken in an interview with The New York Times; European Pravda

Details: When asked whether it was time to end the war, Blinken said that Ukrainians must make this decision.

Quote from Blinken: "They have to decide where their future is and how they want to get there."

More details: In response to whether Ukraine will eventually have to cede territory, the US Secretary of State noted that "the line, as a practical matter in the foreseeable future, is unlikely to move very much". At the same time, the US Secretary of State said, Ukraine's claims to this territory "will always, always be there".

Quote from Blinken: "And the question is, will they find ways with the support of others to regain territory that’s been lost?"

More details: The Secretary of State stressed that Russian leader Vladimir Putin's ambition was to wipe Ukraine off the map. In his opinion, it is unlikely that Putin will give up his objectives.

Quote from Blinken: "If there’s a cease-fire, then, in Putin’s mind, the cease-fire is likely to give him time to rest, to refit, to reattack at some point in the future. So what’s going to be critical to make sure that any cease-fire that comes about is actually enduring is to make sure that Ukraine has the capacity going forward to deter further aggression."

More details: In his opinion, this can come in different forms – either through NATO or through guarantees from different countries, "to make sure that Russia knows that if it reattacks, it’s going to have a big problem." 

Background: 

• The US will make additional announcements on security assistance to Ukraine in the coming days.
• On 30 December, the United States announced a security assistance package for Ukraine worth almost US$2.5 billion.

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