National Security Council spokesman John Kirby weighed in today on Fox News on the threat of peace breaking out: Washington is firmly opposed to a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. He branded any peace initiatives “unacceptable” in the current situation. He announced that any peace initiatives coming out of the Xi-Putin meetings would be rejected. “What we have said before, and we’ll say it again today, that if coming out of this meeting, there’s some sort of call for a ceasefire, well, that’s just going to be unacceptable because all that’s going to do … is ratify Russian’s conquest to date.”
Ironically, were Xi to convince Putin on a ceasefire, given the present military realities, it would be a great relief for Ukraine—regardless of Kirby’s evident presumption that Ukraine would gain ground if only allowed some more time.
