Discuss the situation in Ukraine
White House says no to secret talks with Russia
07/07/2023, 09:45 am
In April, according to a report, former high-ranking US officials discussed a possible solution to the Ukraine war with a Russian delegation. The White House did not support the talks, it is said. But there is no criticism of it either.
President Joe Biden’s administration has not sanctioned or supported secret meetings by former top US security officials with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other Russians over possible talks to end the Ukraine war. That’s what the White House and the State Department said. NBC News previously reported that former US officials met Lavrov in New York in April. Among them were Richard Haass, a former US diplomat and outgoing President of the Council on Foreign Relations, and two former White House staffers.
NBC News, citing six people familiar with the talks, reports that the meeting was aimed at laying the groundwork for possible talks about ending the war that started with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The channel quoted two sources as saying the talks took place with the government’s knowledge but not direction, and that those who met with Lavrov subsequently briefed the White House.
It is unclear how often the group, which is said to have included former Pentagon officials, held talks with senior Russians believed to be close to the Kremlin, NBC News reported. At least one unidentified member of the US group is said to have traveled to Russia, it said.
“Not encouraged or suggested by us”
“The Biden administration has not sanctioned these talks,” a US State Department spokesman said. “And as we have said repeatedly: Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.” The speaker referred to the government’s policy of not discussing possible negotiations to end the war without involving Ukrainian officials.
The spokesman said the government will continue to provide arms to Kiev so that Ukrainian officials can “negotiate from a position of strength when they think the time is right.”
White House national security spokesman John Kirby told CBS News the White House was aware of the unofficial talks. “But I want to make it clear that these discussions were not encouraged or suggested by us and that we did not actively support them in any way,” he continued. “As the President said: Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine”.