Blinken says Ukraine ready for talks but Putin has no interest in peace

​​​​​​​By Rabia Iclal Turan

NEW YORK (AA)- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Ukraine is ready to engage in negotiations with Russia but Russian President Vladimir Putin remains uninterested in peace.

“Ukraine has said multiple times that diplomacy is the only way to end this war – and that it is prepared to engage in negotiations,” Blinken told a UN Security Council meeting on the maintenance of peace and security in Ukraine.

“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin, on the other hand, has no interest in such a peace – recently declaring that Russia would return to the negotiating table only when Ukraine withdraws its troops from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya. In other words, when Ukraine withdraws from its own territory,” he said.

"In Putin's eyes, the Ukrainian people like Ukraine itself, do not exist," he added

The top US diplomat reaffirmed the US’ commitment to a “just and lasting peace” to the conflict that upholds core principles such as sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.

Blinken also urged the international community to take a firm stance against Russia.

“To all nations who want to end this conflict, and do it in a way that will endure, the quickest way forward is simple: Stop those who are enabling and fueling Putin’s aggression. And demand a just peace that upholds the principles of the UN Charter,” he said.

Additionally, Blinken raised concerns about Russia's growing cooperation with North Korea and Iran, as well as the support Moscow receives from China.

He noted that China is the largest supplier of critical materials to Russia, including machine tools and microelectronics, which are used to sustain the war efforts.

“If countries stopped supporting Russia, Putin’s invasion would soon come to an end,” he added.