The incoming Trump administration will be in a position to broker a "good" and "strong" peace deal in Ukraine, provided that Kyiv agrees, outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a press briefing on Jan. 16.
"So I believe that the incoming administration is in a position where, if the Ukrainians so desire and so choose, it can help to negotiate a good deal," Blinken said after commenting that thanks to the Biden administration and international partners, Russia has failed to subdue Ukraine.
"And President (Donald) Trump talks about having good, strong deals. I think there’s an opportunity to get one."
Trump, taking office on Jan. 20, has pledged to swiftly push for a peace settlement in the Russia-Ukraine war after taking office, prompting fears he might pressure Kyiv toward painful concessions.
His team signaled that the new administration would seek to preserve Ukraine's independence, though Blinken's expected successor, Marco Rubio, said that both Kyiv and Moscow would have to make concessions to achieve a peace deal.
Since invading Ukraine in 2014 and escalating its war of aggression in 2022, Russia has occupied about 20% of Ukrainian territory, imposing repressive measures on the local population and prohibiting any expressions of Ukrainian identity. Ukraine has repeatedly said it would not recognize its territory currently under Moscow's control as Russian.
Blinken noted that any potential ceasefire must be enduring and not simply a pause that will give Russian President Vladimir Putin a chance to "rest, refit, and then when he deems the moment right, re-attack."
"So you have to have built into any ceasefire the effective deterrence necessary so that he doesn’t re-attack. That is, I think, a necessary part of any good, strong deal for Ukraine," the chief U.S. diplomat said.
The secretary of state also highlighted the Biden administration's efforts to put Ukraine into the strongest possible position in any potential talks, noting that Russia suffered massive battlefield losses and faces mounting economic difficulties.
"The losses that Russia has incurred are almost unimaginable – I think, by some assessments, 700,000-800,000 casualties. That includes those killed and those wounded," Blinken said.
The Biden administration ramped up its support for Ukraine since Trump's reelection, announcing several major security assistance packages, easing restrictions on long-range strikes inside Russia, and imposing sweeping sanctions on the Russian energy sector.
Dominic Culverwell
(Updated: )
