US left-wing lawmakers urge Biden to negotiate on Ukraine

US left-wing lawmakers urge Biden to negotiate on Ukraine

Representative Pramila Jayapal, seen in January 2022, has led an appeal by progressive Democrats for a negotiated end to the Ukraine war
Representative Pramila Jayapal, seen in January 2022, has led an appeal by progressive Democrats for a negotiated end to the Ukraine war. Photo: Nicholas Kamm / AFP/File
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!

Left-wing US lawmakers on Monday urged President Joe Biden to seek a negotiated settlement with Russia to end the Ukraine war including by exploring security arrangements acceptable to both sides.

In a letter, 30 House members from Biden's Democratic Party made clear they opposed Russia's "outrageous and illegal invasion of Ukraine" and agreed with the White House that a settlement was up to Kyiv.

"But as legislators responsible for the expenditure of tens of billions of US taxpayer dollars in military assistance in the conflict, we believe such involvement in this war also creates a responsibility for the United States to seriously explore all possible avenues," said the lawmakers led by Representative Pramila Jayapal, leader of the House Progressive Caucus.

Read also

Russia claims Ukraine 'dirty bomb' in final stages

They called for direct engagement with Russia to find a solution "that is acceptable to the people of Ukraine."

"Such a framework would presumably include incentives to end hostilities, including some form of sanctions relief, and bring together the international community to establish security guarantees for a free and independent Ukraine that are acceptable for all parties, particularly Ukrainians," they wrote.

"The alternative to diplomacy is protracted war, with both its attendant certainties and catastrophic and unknowable risks."

PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!

Russian President Vladimir Putin, before launching the invasion on February 24, had demanded guarantees that the former Soviet republic would never join NATO, the Western military alliance.

US officials were skeptical that NATO was his real concern, noting that Ukraine had little prospect of entering the alliance, but engaged in top-level talks with Russia until the invasion.

Read also

US restores defense talks with Russia but sees no interest in ending war

Asked about the letter, State Department spokesman Ned Price said, "Nobody wants to see this war ended more than our Ukrainian counterparts."

"We don't know when it will transpire, principally and solely because we have not seen any indication from the Russians that they are prepared to engage in that diplomacy and dialogue," he told reporters.

"We have been providing our Ukrainian partners with what they need on the battlefield so that when a negotiating table emerges, they will be in the strongest possible position," Price said.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said separately: "We've been very clear: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine."

The United States in May approved $40 billion in aid to Ukraine, leading Western efforts both to provide weapons and shore up an economy devastated by the Russian attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky -- who had begrudgingly held out the possibility of dropping the NATO bid to avert war -- has vowed to defeat the Russian invaders and to win back land they occupied.

New feature: Сheck out news that is picked for YOU ➡️ find “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.