The war in Ukraine could have ended in 2022, but Blinken insisted on its continuation, – The New York Times

The war in Ukraine could have ended in 2022, but U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted on continuing the conflict.

This was reported by the American newspaper The New York Times.

According to the publication, at the end of 2022, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, suggested that Kyiv “capitalize on battlefield gains” and agree to peace negotiations with Moscow.

However, “Blinken insisted that the fight should continue.”

The article states that the top U.S. diplomat was “not so much a peacemaker as a military strategist.”

“He often opposed less decisive Pentagon officials in favor of sending powerful American weapons to Ukraine,” writes The New York Times.

It is worth recalling that after the de-occupation of Kherson in November 2022, General Milley stated that Ukraine had reached its best battlefield position, and at that moment, a window of opportunity for negotiations was open. Milley did not believe in the likelihood of further major victories against Russian forces.

As reported in the media, General Milley laughed at Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi’s request to urgently supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.

Milley also stated that Ukraine would not be able to reclaim all its territories during the 2023 counteroffensive.