John Kirby, the National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications, said Sunday that the US will not push Ukraine to reach a negotiated settlement with Russia even if the Biden administration thinks it’s the right thing to do.
Kirby, who recently joined the NSC after serving as the Pentagon’s spokesman, said that the US will continue to support Ukraine in its war and that it’s up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if and when to pursue negotiations with Moscow.
“[Zelensky] gets to determine how victory is decided and when and on what terms. And [what] we’re going to do is continue to make sure that can succeed on the battlefield so that he can succeed at the table. But even President Zelensky will tell you that the time is not now for those discussions,” Kirby said in an interview with Fox News.
Kirby’s comments came after CNN reported that White House officials privately doubt that Ukraine can retake all the territory Russia has captured since it invaded on February 24. Zelensky has maintained that his goal is to drive Russia out of those areas, but the report said US officials are debating if they should push Zelensky to change his goals as Russia continues to make gains in the east.
While Kirby said it’s up to Zelensky whether or not Ukraine will negotiate, the West had pressed him to stop talking to Russia earlier in the war. According to a report from Ukrainska Pravda citing sources close to Zelensky, Johnson told the Ukrainian leader during his visit to Kyiv on April 1 that Russian President Vladimir Putin should be pressured, not negotiated with.
The report said that Johnson told Zelensky that “even if Ukraine is ready to sign some agreements on guarantees with Putin,” Kyiv’s NATO backers are not ready. The report said Johnson’s position was that of the “collective West,” which felt at the time that Putin was not as strong as they initially thought and saw the war as an opportunity to “press him.”
The exact details of the Ukrainska Pravda report haven’t been confirmed, but Johnson later told French President Emmanuel Macron that he “urged” the Ukrainians not to negotiate with Russia. Earlier peace talks between the warring sides that, according to Russia, showed some promise have since stalled.
The Biden administration has shown no interest in pushing for peace talks to end the fighting and has continued to dump billions of dollars worth of weapons into the war zone. The administration has also abandoned diplomacy with Moscow altogether. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hasn’t spoken with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, since February 15.
Of course not. The dying has to keep going. Got to feed the MICIMATT. Biden and Blinken should commit Sepuku.
…And it should be televised…
Kirby is a disgusting joke on the world stage.
He is more like Baghdad Bob then a real PR person!
I sense someone watches Critical Drinker’s reviews on YouTube!
This is an obvious aside CT but being named after a vacuum cleaner is a tough act to follow…Kirby…
When the last Ukrainian dies perhaps Zelensky can turn off the light switch for Ukraine. If Biden and the clown Boris Johnson allows him to do so.
When the last Ukrainian dies perhaps Zelensky can turn off the light switch for Ukraine. If Biden and the clown Boris Johnson allows him to do so.
White House Says US Won’t Allow Ukraine to Negotiate With Russia
Ain’t gonna be any “negotiations”. The time for that is past. The time for that was last December-February. Russia may fake some if Ukraine wants to, but since day one the only thing the Russians have offered is surrender terms. Period. End of story.
Bye-Done is feckless and foolish (and a few other F-words as well…)…
Let’s send them billions of dollars and continue draining us but hey, let’s not give them advice or anything. This guy thinks we are all morons (unless the WH really is that incompetent.
G, I’d say your last sentence qualifies as a resounding “yes”.
“[Zelensky] gets to determine how victory is decided and when and on what terms.”
Translation: When this is over you can’t point to us for prolonging it, because we said it was Zelensky’s call.
(Never mind that we are even paying the salaries in the Kiev government now.)
In other news, Russia has left Snake Island. This is of course presented as a “victory for Ukraine.” It is an island not near Crimea or Donbass, but far to the west, by Rumania. Not territory Russia wants to hold. It was taken because Kiev had military there, and was successfully defended when Kiev tried to take it back. It is flat and can be bombed and retaken by Russia at any time. Ukraine doesn’t have a navy to defend it. Russia left it to show they aren’t stopping any Ukrainian grains exports in the west. All that’s stopping them is Kiev’s mining of the Donbass harbor.
Of course CNN then repeats that the island is known for its occupiers replying “Russian warship go **** yourself”. That’s false. They gave up and were moved to Crimea. After so many months, CNN knows this. CNN is lying.
CNN is proficient at lying…
Practice makes perfect…
CNN pays no attentiiin to UN deal with Turkey and Russia on safe passage for Ukrainian ships. But the whining went on and on. Because of Russian occupation of Snake Island, Zelenski claimed, they cannot use safe route by Romanian
coas. Russia said OK — we are leaving . What is your excuse now? Niw Zelenski screams that Rusdia’s ship with wheat cargo is actually stolen from Ukraine! Turkey will check the claim — and of course, it is easy to check the product origin. But ALL Zelenski and CNN care are — HEADLINES. Russia is the workd’s number one exporter of WHEAT. Stuff people need for bread. While Ukraine exported all of its whear by land to Europe. Ukraine has all kinds of other grains, but its main port, Odessa is mined, and port cluttered by foreign ships not alliwed to leave tge port. Soooo, how can they ship anything?
Who cares for world hunger, for as lingvaz Zelenski has his headline victories.
Russia controls the island anyway. Navalnand air control is sufficient. It dies take away Zelenski games of targetting Snake Island.
What is not mentioned is tge next Russian phase. From what I understand, offensive will be different.
Russia told Z, if you de-mine the coat of Odessa, we will let you export your grains. That’s not ‘Safe Passage.’ ‘That is opening the door for a full amphibious assault. Putin still has a sea blockade and will not open it no matter what.
Russia has zero credibility in negotiations, they say one thing then do another, then lie about it and blame the other party.
Then you come here to spread Russian propaganda.
Use your grey cells more, they need exercise. UN deal is not “Russian propaganda”. By now, is there anyone left not utterly bored by Zelenski whining.
UN deal is here. Zelenski can use it or lose it. What does he think — Boris Johnson will come in for a repeat of Crimean wars? Only this time iit is Zelensku sending “his” people to die in the Charge of the Light Brigade.
Save your breath — there is much mire to come. We need to mund out business and our interests. We are paying Ukrainian bill through inflation. So, enjoy. I for one would have never meddled into Ukrainian-Russian conflict, isdue not solved since the break up of Soviet Union. But we have feeble minded leadership that believes America controls the Galaxy. We have good life — and should cherrish it. Problems oceand appart are sapping our strength and erroding our quality of life. This is not a computer game. Putin is more credible — at least he lives in real world.
You should take a pause from commenting, and google “Russian Black Sea fleet”; you would then realize how ludicrous your claim about a “full amphibious assault” is. Russia lacks the sea lift assets in the Black Sea to move more than a battalion or two, with their vehicles and supplies; nowhere near enough to make such an assault, and they completely lack the shore bombardment capability necessary to protect the ships attempting a landing. The whole idea is silly. The Russians play fast and loose with the truth, but the Ukrainians are no different. Ukraine has no interest in resuming grain shipments, beyond a token attempt to pretend they are “trying”; they hope that the more they can provoke a famine, the better the chance the international community will intervene.
Face it Don, Russia is accomplishing what it set out to do regardless of how many times the MSM in the West tries to find some little tidbit to spin the daily bad news for Ukraine and Zelensky.
No. Russia has repeatedly said that if the Odessa harbor is demined by Kiev, they won’t exploit it to attack the harbor.
You know that but you pretend you don’t know. That’s called lying.
Furthermore Russia can’t take Odessa from the sea. They can only attack ships, but Ukraine has practically no navy left. If they want to bomb the Zelensky troops in Odessa they will do that with their planes over land.
Russia treats war prisoners well, unlike Ukraine that beats them and shoots them in the knees. Ukrainians also take the cellphones from dead soldiers to call their mothers and laugh at them. It isn’t Russia that is untrustworthy in this war.
When the truth can be “characterized” as propaganda, lies will prevail. You imply that the offer is bogus, because Russia can prevent any delivery later, out at sea. But what about “if you de-mine the coast of Odessa, we will let you export your grains.”????
To prove it’s a lie, Ukraine must make an effort and be blocked. Otherwize your accusation is just speculation.
Are you Dr. Science or Dr. Military? Snake Island is a military strategic point. You can project fire and forces from there especially if you are planning an amphibious assault into Odessa. Russia knew its value and that’s why they tried to occupy it multiple times.
Edit: The reason Russia left the island is because their dumbass Generals couldn’t say NO to Putin. How stupid to occupied a territory within missile reach from Ukraine and with Registered/Observed artillery weaponry.
Ridiculous.
1. Russia is not using Snake Island to attack anything. They took it to remove the Ukrainian military.
2. Kiev won’t be able to use Snake Island to attack anything, because they don’t have a navy left.
3. Russia left as part of their urging Ukraine to restart their grains shipments. Kiev claimed they couldn’t do that because Russia held Snake Island. Now what’s your excuse?
“How stupid to occupied a territory within missile reach from Ukraine and with Registered/Observed artillery weaponry.”
How cute. Your Kiev regime hasn’t been able to attack the island. They tried and failed. Didn’t you know that?
But if you think Snake Island can be used by the Kiev military, okay: How are they going to use it now? Go on, tell us.
Ridiculous.
1. Russia is not using Snake Island to attack anything. They took it to remove the Ukrainian military.
2. Kiev won’t be able to use Snake Island to attack anything, because they don’t have a navy left.
3. Russia left as part of their urging Ukraine to restart their grains shipments. Kiev claimed they couldn’t do that because Russia held Snake Island. Now what’s your excuse?
“How stupid to occupied a territory within missile reach from Ukraine and with Registered/Observed artillery weaponry.”
How cute. Your Kiev regime hasn’t been able to attack the island. They tried and failed. Didn’t you know that?
But if you think Snake Island can be used by the Kiev military, okay: How are they going to use it now? Go on, tell us.
This is exactly why you don’t want unwise 41 year old comedians becoming President of your country. They will make unwise decisions after unwise decisions. Apparently not learning from mistakes in history or their own mistakes. While simultaneously putting the peoples he swore to protect, in a completely unnecessary tribulation, via the whims of foreign influences that promise him the world but aren’t actually willing to fight with him to achieve their promises. Zelensky had a chance to do the wise thing. But my opinion is that he has done many unwise things that have him, and his people in peril. With too many young lives lost forever, so that he can beat his chest to the world and beg for resources and sympathy. There can be honor in humility. The best battles are those that are prevented!
It’s funny, Zelensky had no election campaign. No rallies, no speeches. He only had a YouTube channel. And the backing of the fourth richest man in Ukraine, Igor Kolomoisky, who PICKED him.
His inofficial campaign is the show where he played a president. In that show the people are united, there’s nothing about who talks what language. The enemies are the oligarchs. (Of which Kolomoisky is one.) In the show, he confiscates their assets, disregarding the law. But once he became the president, and gave up on his only campaign promise of making the Azov Batt stop bombing Donbass, he started confiscating the assets of dissenters. This was done by the Security and Defense Council.
He also pushed through the extremely unpopular land reform, which sold out government land to the oligarchs and to China. (Which now owns 10 percent of farm land, meaning 5 percent of all the land.) The bribes must be flowing. So last summer his popularity plummeted to 30 percent, after being elected by 70 percent. Time for war! That’s when he started gathering troops in the east.
There’s another president with his popularity numbers around 30 percent who hopes for a war to turn things around … someone else who didn’t campaign but was lifted by the donors, and with a history of taking bribes … can’t remember the name. Maybe it’s Alzheimers.
Fantastic reply! I can’t remember the name either, its ok though. A member of my staff will write it down on a queue card for me for me to read out loud to the press. So it seems the people behind the curtain, are behind these two acts!
I, personally, do not find him terribly funny…
There are too many “Bs” in Washington… Biden, Blinken, Bevis, Butthead…
And Bevis and Butthead would be the most intelligent within the B’s you mention.
By far. It was insulting putting their names next to Biden and Blinken.
Donna, you are on a ROLL today, Girl! 😁
Correct Title:
“White House Says US Won’t Push Ukraine to Negotiate With Russia until There Is No Ukraine”
What a remarkable lie!
“even if the Biden administration thinks it’s the right thing to (negotiate)”
One might (falsely) conclude that the Biden administration intends to stop pressuring Zelensky to continue fighting until the last Ukrainian soldier has died.
Last week at the G7, Zelensky made it clear that he wanted the war to be over by August. Biden’s reply was that we’ll be there “for as long as it takes”. Russia replied by taking Lysychans’k.
Biden will not do anything that his equally knuckleheaded Republican opponents can seize on to “prove” his “weakness”. As if “strength” was measured by the number of dead Ukrainians one is willing to allow to pile up. He is trapped by his own rhetoric. So instead, he will allow the deluded Zelensky to continue this unwinnable war, and throw good money after bad, as more and more people die and Russia continues to gain territory. I am sure Zelensky has made his own back room deals that assure him of a “soft landing” once everything collapses, with a nice mansion and fat bank account in Switzerland as long as he continues to hold on to the party line. Too bad the ordinary Ukrainians don’t have that option.
John Kirby is the spinmeister for the Military Congressional Industrial Complex. Of course these people don’t want a negotiated peace! It would hurt their bottom line. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
“[Zelensky] gets to determine how victory is decided and when and on what terms. And [what] we’re going to do is continue to make sure that can succeed on the battlefield so that he can succeed at the table. But even President Zelensky will tell you that the time is not now for those discussions,” Kirby said in an interview with Fox News.
In other words, Zelensky gets to determine how victory is decided, and the terms, but the US will let him know when he thinks it’s the right time to discuss those things.
After all, how would the US push Ukraine to negotiate when the US is doing everything to make sure Ukraine isn’t going to negotiate?
Of course.
Refusing to do normal negotiation is how Biden got this war started. It was the mechanism by which he incited Biden’s War.
No, it is not Putin’s War, even if he was the one who was finally pushed to fire the first shot.
Even that may not be true, since Ukraine was ramping up attacks on the separatists, with US help.
Moscow did not fire the first shot…………Russia in the Donbass has intervened in the 3rd Donbass war. The first was in 2014 which lead to the Minsk agreements, which Ukraine broke. The second Donbass war was in 2015 which lead to the Minsk2 agreements, which Ukraine broke.
The latest Ukrainian assault began on February 16 when over several days Ukrainian artillery increased its bombardment of Donbas by a factor of 40. Ukraine had 100,000 NATO armed and trained troops on the border of Donbass. Russia went in to protect the Russian speaking people. For 8 years Ukraine has been indiscriminately shelling the people of the Donbass, tens of thousands have died.
Russia reacted to this shelling of civilian populations and on February 24 they preempted the planned NATO ground assault.
This war is likely to end exactly as did the 1944 campaign known as the Destruction of Army Group Center in the same location.
Russia is not just taking slivers of land. It is smashing the Ukraine army as it did the German Army. At some point, as in 1944, that army will shatter and the end will arrive.
Da komrade! Let the world tremble in the knowledge that Moscow now controls…the easternmost ONE EIGHTH of Ukraine!
(source: https://liveuamap.com/)
The MIC is eagerly rubbing its hands together, in greed and anticipation of a much larger conflict……………………………………..
Diplomacy is a lost art…
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/world-news/war/a-future-draft-is-possible-in-the-us/
A Future Draft is Possible in the US.
“The opiate epidemic has plagued young men and women in America and has become a leading cause of death. Obesity is on the rise, and the price of fresh produce and healthier meals are often unattainable to low-income families. Crime is also on the rise among misguided youth, further diminishing the availability of service members.”
My my, the military’s getting particular who they use for cannon fodder.
Back in the Vietnam days of my youth, if a young man got into trouble with the law, he was frequently given the choice of jail time or Vietnam.
One needn’t be a HS graduate either.
Obesity? Basic training takes care of that real fast.
That being said, a draft is the quickest way to stop our endless wars.
It’s easy to support a war when somebody else’s life is on the line, but when it’s YOURS…uh-uh, nope, no thanks, ain’t goin’.