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US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken
Any ceasefire agreement must include a reliable deterrent that will prevent Putin from regaining his strength and attacking again.
A final decision on ending the war in Ukraine is not expected anytime soon. However, a ceasefire agreement is possible, and it must be achieved from a position of strength. This was stated by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in an interview with The New Yorker Radio Hour on the occasion of the end of his service at the head of American diplomacy.
In Blinken's opinion, peace in Ukraine must be achieved from a position of strength - initially by agreeing on a ceasefire with a powerful deterrent to Putin, and later by resolving the status of the captured territories.
"So this (reaching an agreement – ed.) has to happen from a position of strength, but there is also something critically important," the head of the US State Department noted.
According to him, there is one thing that must be included in any solution: “And when I say ‘solution,’ I really mean a ceasefire, because there will be no final solution anytime soon.” He explained that the ceasefire must be permanent and long-lasting.
"This means there has to be a credible deterrent, because Putin will use any ceasefire to rest, rearm, and then eventually attack again," Blinken noted.
He also expressed his belief that the issue of the status of the territories currently temporarily under Russian control "will probably not be resolved for a long time."
At the same time, the current head of the State Department expressed confidence that President Zelensky will reflect in his policy a decision that will correspond to the beliefs of the Ukrainian people.