The United States is prepared to support negotiations between Ukraine and Russia if President Volodymyr Zelensky expresses a willingness to do so.
This was stated by U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller during a briefing, as reported by "European Truth".
In light of newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump's comments about the possibility of ending the Russia-Ukraine war within the "first 24 hours" of taking office, reporters asked the spokesperson whether the U.S. would facilitate negotiations between Ukraine and Russia if "both sides express a willingness to commence them".
Miller responded that if the Ukrainian president decides he wants to begin talks with Russia, the U.S. will support that.
"That has been our policy – our longstanding policy, that it is President Zelensky who should decide when the time is right for negotiations. This is not something we or any other country should push him towards," he emphasized.
The spokesperson highlighted that the U.S. will support Zelensky in any process "aimed at ensuring a just and lasting peace, but ultimately, it is his decision".
"But as always – and you can just look at the statements he (Kremlin head Vladimir Putin, – ed.) continues to make – we have not seen any signs that Putin is willing to abandon his goal of continuing to absorb Ukrainian territory," he noted.
Miller also expressed confidence that Putin would agree to negotiations under conditions where he "gets everything he wants, while Ukraine receives nothing it is entitled to by law".
"But these are not the negotiations that President Zelensky is interested in, nor should he be," he concluded.
According to The Wall Street Journal, within Trump's circle, there is allegedly an idea about freezing the front along the current line with a demilitarized zone and a 20-year moratorium on Ukraine's NATO membership.
Zelensky himself, congratulating Trump on his victory, stated that he appreciates Trump's commitment to the "peace through strength" approach, and expressed conviction that this could help bring about a just peace in Ukraine.
After the summit of the European Political Community, Zelensky stated that he believes Trump wants a quick end to the war, but this could come at a cost for Ukraine.