US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that America will put Ukraine on the path to NATO membership. He also said that if there is a ceasefire, it will give Putin time to rest before attacking again. Therefore, it is critical to make sure that Ukraine has the ability to deter any further aggression. He said this in an interview with The New York Times, reports UNN.
Asked whether he believes it is time to end the war, Blinken replied: “These are decisions that Ukrainians have to make. They have to decide where their future is and how they want to get there. Where the line is on the map right now, I don't think it's going to change very much.
Blinken also answered a clarifying question about whether he meant that the territories controlled by Russia would have to be ceded.
“The issue is not that we have conceded. The question is that the line, as a practical matter, is unlikely to move much in the near future. Ukraine's claims to this territory will always be there, always. And the question is, will they find ways to regain the lost territory with the support of others?” - Blinken said.
Zelensky explains what a just peace means for Ukraine02.01.25, 22:35
He noted that Putin is unlikely to give up his ambitions.
“If there is a ceasefire, Putin's view is that the ceasefire will probably give him time to rest, to re-adjust, to attack again at some point in the future. Therefore, for any ceasefire that is reached to be truly durable, it is critical to make sure that Ukraine has the capacity to deter further aggression. And this can take many forms. It could be through NATO, and we will put Ukraine on the path to NATO membership. It could come through security guarantees, commitments, guarantees from different countries to make sure that Russia knows that if it attacks, it will be in big trouble,” Blinken said.