US Ambassador to NATO: Ukraine's strikes on Russian territory bring peace talks closer

US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said in an interview with Fox News that Ukraine's long-range strikes deep into Russian territory are helping bring Moscow and Kyiv closer to negotiations to end the war. The comments were reported by "Yevropeiska Pravda", citing Whitaker's remarks.

The ambassador said Ukraine's continued powerful strikes on Russia, in his view, are contributing to bringing the two sides closer together. However, he cautioned that the parties remain "very far apart" on key issues, adding that a resolution will not be achieved through military action.

Diplomacy, not the battlefield

Whitaker stated his belief that the conflict will not be resolved on the battlefield, but only through diplomacy and negotiations. He said this is why President Donald Trump and his team continue negotiating with both sides, trying to find common ground between their positions and bring them closer together.

The ambassador also stressed that reaching a peace agreement is impossible unless Russian leader Vladimir Putin is willing to compromise. Still, he expressed confidence that Trump, as an experienced dealmaker, would be able to secure such an agreement.

Background

President Trump earlier said he had asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to slow down the pace of strikes on Russian oil refineries, and that Zelensky reportedly agreed. However, on September 22, Zelensky said that during closed-door talks with Trump, there had been no attempt to unilaterally force Kyiv to stop attacks on refineries and similar facilities. Earlier, on September 13, Trump had urged Zelensky to stop strikes on Russian diesel fuel production, saying the attacks were causing a shortage.