Blinken says Moscow-Kiev negotiations condition is 'lasting peace'
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken says a ceasefire is "tempting" but it meant "ratification" of Moscow's authority over the territories that joined Russia following the referendums conducted in 2022.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers meeting, Thursday, March 2, 2023, in New Delhi. (AP)
Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have been ruled out by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In a statement made to German outlet Funke Mediengruppe, Blinken said that the two can only come to the negotiation table if Moscow showed readiness for "constructive negotiations". This meant that Moscow had to join the negotiations table aiming to reach a "just and lasting peace."
Otherwise, and despite the fact that the idea of a ceasefire may be "tempting," it remained unlikely, since the "lasting peace" meant that Ukraine would restore the entirety of its territorial integrity. A ceasefire, however, countered that aim, as it meant the "ratification" of Moscow's authority over the territories that joined Russia following the referendums conducted in 2022, Blinken explained.
New batch of leaked documents: Ukraine, China, Middle East info reveal
A new batch of classified US documents made up of more than 100 new files has been leaked on Friday, according to the New York Times, divulging information pertaining not only to Ukraine but also to China and the Middle East.
US defense and intelligence officials have claimed to be investigating the leak which took over Twitter, Telegram, and the 4chan messaging board.
The New York Times reported that the leak included detailed maps as well as briefing slides on the state of China and the Middle East. One of the documents, dated February 23, was said to be labeled "Secret/NoForn" which meant that the content of the document was not meant to be disclosed to any foreign nation.
The first batch of leaked documents contained detailed information regarding the weaponry, battalion strengths, and other sensitive data.
It is worth noting, however, that the information being circulated is not very recent, and is at the very least five weeks old. The most recent one available was dated March 1st according to the report.
The documents included summaries of training schedules pertaining to 12 Ukrainian combat brigades, nine of which were being trained by the US and NATO. The brigades required 250 tanks, and more than 350 mechanized vehicles, the report noted.
The files also indicate expenditure rates for armaments under Ukraine's military control, including the HIMARS rocket systems.
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