The White House clarified what Ukraine requires for negotiations with Russia.
The notion of Russia's advantage in potential peace negotiations is incorrect. Senior White House official Michael Carpenter emphasized that Ukraine must be able to negotiate from a position of strength. In his view, this requires stabilizing the front lines and halting destruction in Donbas.
Carpenter made these statements in an interview with "Voice of America." He pointed out that stabilizing the front lines is a long-term process that may extend into 2025.
"Ukraine will need more military assistance to achieve this goal," Carpenter stressed.
At the same time, he commented on Russia's stance, stating that "the idea that the Russians have a strong negotiating position is mistaken."
"The war has cost them over 600,000 dead and wounded in 2.5 years. The economic situation in Russia is also critical: inflation is rising, and interest rates have reached 21% and may continue to increase," Carpenter noted, adding that Russia's positions, to put it mildly, are not strong.
Despite the current situation, Carpenter believes that Americans will need to provide Ukraine with resources. According to him, this is necessary for our country to succeed.
Kyiv's Reaction to Moscow's Proposals
Russian President Vladimir Putin has put forward his own conditions for peace negotiations, stating that he is willing to negotiate only with the "legitimate authority." He meant the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada. However, parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk responded by stating that Ukraine is a victim of aggression, and therefore any peace plan must take Kyiv's interests into account, not those of the aggressor country.
In addition, on December 19, Putin made a number of statements regarding the state of the so-called "SVO" in Ukraine, lied about stability in Russia, and fantasized about Western aggression, suggesting that its leaders conduct a "technological duel" on the territory of Kyiv. Following such outrageous proposals, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky openly indicated that he considers the Russian ruler incompetent and untrustworthy.
"People are dying, and he thinks this is 'interesting.' Dumbass," Zelensky's social media post read, echoing the English term "dumbass" (дебіл - ed.), which sounds similar to the propaganda term Donbass.
President's communication advisor Dmytro Lytvyn confirmed that the post about Putin as a "dumbass," which became a meme on social media, is a direct quote from President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to him, the head of state personally authorized the publication of this remark, which quickly went viral on social media.
On December 20, Putin struck Kyiv with ballistic missiles, destroying the center of the capital. The attack by Russia caused fires, damage to buildings, and transportation infrastructure. In total, dozens were injured, one person was killed, and four were hospitalized. The most damage was recorded in the Holosiivskyi district.