The US will not press Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Thursday.
Comments by several former and current officials from around the world last month suggested Kyiv may have to cede some territory in an eventual ceasefire. But Ukraine quickly hit back and said it would not entertain such ideas.
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Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger also proposed for Ukraine to let Russia keep occupied Crimea, which the Kremlin annexed in 2014.
Speaking to the Washington-based Center for New American Security (CNAS), Sullivan said the US would continue to help Ukraine “to the maximum extent possible.” He added: “First on the battlefield, and then, ultimately on the negotiation table. We think this has to end with diplomacy.”
Sullivan went on to repeat comments made since February by US officials that it was for Ukraine to shape their end goals, not the US. “We are not going to be pressing them to make territorial concessions. We think that’s frankly wrong,” he said.
The Biden administration has been pumping billions of dollars of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24.
On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden announced a new aid package worth $1 billion for Ukraine. Sullivan said more long-range missile systems would also be pledged in future assistance.
Read more: Biden announces new weapons package worth $1 bln for Ukraine
