WILL THE UNITED STATES EMPOWER ZELENSKYY TO NEGOTIATE AN END TO THE WAR? – By Ryan Grim (The Intercept) / March 15, 2022
The Intercept asked the White House if the United States would respect Ukraine’s sovereignty in negotiating with Russia.
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY has made twin requests of his Western allies as his country fends off an invasion by Russian forces. First, he has consistently implored the United States to provide more military aid, including by enforcing a no-fly zone, and to impose additional sanctions on Russia and those close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Second, he has pushed the West to be more involved in negotiations toward an end to the war.
The first demand sits at the center of the debate over the war in the United States and in Europe, as the allies grapple with how, and with which weapons, to support the Ukrainian defensive efforts. The second demand has met a far more muted response, but on Saturday, an unnamed State Department spokesperson told Reuters that the U.S. was prepared to help.
“If there are diplomatic steps that we can take that the Ukrainian Government believes would be helpful, we’re prepared to take them,” the spokesperson said, according to the Reuters article. “We are working to put the Ukrainians in the strongest possible negotiating position, including by increasing pressure on Russia by imposing severe costs and by providing security assistance to help Ukrainians defend themselves.”
CONTINUE > https://theintercept.com/2022/03/15/ukraine-russia-war-sovereignty-negotiations/