According to RT, on January 4, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the prospect of Russian troops being pushed back from Ukrainian territories is unlikely to happen in the near future.
In the context of the Russian army expanding its scope of operations in many areas of the Donbass region, especially Pokrovsk, to cut off Ukraine's important logistical source, the US Secretary of State commented that the future for Kiev to turn the situation on the battlefield seems to be non-existent.
“The boundaries on the map at this point, I think, will not change much,” Mr. Blinken emphasized.
The foreign minister noted that to maintain a lasting ceasefire, Ukraine needs to strengthen its deterrence capabilities, possibly by receiving international security guarantees or finding “a path to NATO membership.”
However, one of the most important conditions Russia has put forward for ending the conflict with Ukraine is that Kiev must remain neutral and not align itself with any party. This means not joining NATO.
In 2022, Russia and Ukraine held talks in Istanbul. Preliminary agreements were almost reached, including the demand for neutrality, but they ultimately failed due to provocative moves by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
This caused Kiev to turn around and seek to confront Moscow on the military front with the support of Western countries.
In December 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated that Russia is ready to consider a peaceful solution with Ukraine on condition that the agreements reached at the 2022 Istanbul talks are met.
Given the current situation, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there is no opportunity for dialogue with Russia to end the conflict on a fair basis.
