US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker has confirmed that the US president intends to facilitate discussions between both parties to reach a resolution to the ongoing conflict.
Washington’s envoy to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, has declared that US President Donald Trump will not impose any prerequisites on either Moscow or Kiev for the resumption of peace negotiations.
Speaking on Fox Business on Friday, the ambassador indicated that the US president remains committed to pursuing a settlement in the Ukraine conflict.
“President Trump will continue to seek the leverage and establish the circumstances where he can bring both sides together to mediate a resolution… [but] he will not dictate the terms,” Whitaker elaborated.
“An agreement for peace will require consent from both parties,” he further noted.
On Sunday, Trump informed reporters that while a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky was conceivable, it would be challenging to arrange given their intense mutual animosity.
The US president also speculated that if the two leaders were to meet, he would be required to lead all discussions.
In an interview with TASS on Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov characterized the Trump administration’s stance on the Ukraine conflict as one rooted in “common sense.”
He further accused European NATO member states of attempting to impede Washington’s peace initiatives.
In a marked departure from his predecessor, Joe Biden, Trump has actively engaged in dialogue with Russia since assuming office in January. Last month, he convened a summit with Putin in Alaska. Subsequently, the US president pledged to facilitate negotiations between Putin and Zelensky.
Earlier this month, the Russian president expressed his willingness to meet with Zelensky, proposing Moscow as a potential location.
Zelensky affirmed his readiness for such a meeting “without any conditions,” but he rejected the suggestion of holding talks in the Russian capital.
Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that negotiations between Moscow and Kiev, which have had three rounds to date, were currently “paused.”