Blinken Cautions Ukraine Against Cease-Fire, Stating it Could Foster a “Deceptive Peace” and Validate Russian Invasion

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On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his concern that supporting a cease-fire or peace talks to end the war in Ukraine at the current stage would not be in the best interest of Kyiv. He emphasized the need for Ukraine to gain strength and negotiate on its own terms before engaging in such discussions. Blinken argued that prematurely pursuing negotiations would lead to a superficial “Potemkin peace,” which would fail to safeguard Ukraine’s sovereignty and European security.

Delivering a speech in Finland, a recent NATO member sharing a border with Russia, Blinken referred to the term “Potemkin” to allude to the illusionary facade constructed by 18th-century Russian minister Grigory Potemkin. These elaborate facades were meant to create the illusion of prosperity for Russia’s empress.

Blinken reiterated the U.S. stance that a cease-fire merely entrenching current territorial lines would enable Russian President Vladimir Putin to consolidate control over the seized territories, regroup, and launch further attacks. He emphasized that this would not contribute to a just and lasting peace. Blinken cautioned against legitimizing Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territory, asserting that it would send a wrong message to Russia and other potential aggressors globally. Consequently, he advocated for either Ukraine pushing back against Russia or Russia withdrawing its troops before considering a cease-fire.

Blinken’s position aligns with that of Ukrainian officials, who demand that Russia bear responsibility for the invasion and contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction. Amid a prolonged stalemate across a 685-mile front line, Ukrainian officials have provided mixed signals regarding an upcoming counteroffensive, which heavily relies on advanced Western weaponry and training.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the need for Russia to experience the consequences of a counteroffensive to grasp its commencement. Zelenskyy’s objective is to reclaim the four partially occupied territories and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Blinken described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a catastrophic strategic failure that has bolstered NATO, the European Union, and Ukraine. He highlighted Russia’s increasing isolation, its subordinate position to China, and the diminishing effectiveness of energy as a political tool. Russia’s demand for talks primarily revolves around Ukraine’s bid to join NATO, which Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov anticipates will remain a contentious issue for years to come.

While Washington is prepared to support peace efforts by other countries, including China and Brazil, Blinken emphasized that any peace agreement must uphold the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence. China, which claims neutrality but has politically supported Russia, urged countries to cease arms supplies to Ukraine. The United States is a significant Western ally and provider of arms to Kyiv.

In Kyiv, Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted all 15 incoming cruise missiles and 21 attack drones in the sixth air attack in as many days. The capital was targeted by Iranian-made Shahed drones and cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea region. Elsewhere, explosions occurred in the Russian-occupied port of Berdyansk in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. Russian-appointed officials attributed the blasts to Ukrainian rocket attacks, resulting in nine injuries. Russian ships were reportedly seen evacuating the port.

Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-appointed governor of Ukraine’s occupied Donetsk province, claimed that Ukrainian strikes had caused casualties, including a 3-year-old girl. In Russia, border regions experienced cross-border shelling, with casualties reported in Russia’s Belgorod region and Ukrainian drones shot down in the Kursk region.

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