**US Won’t Comment on Russia’s Claim to Occupied Ukrainian Regions Until Ceasefire**
The White House has said it won’t discuss the details of a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine until a ceasefire is reached. This includes the status of Ukrainian lands that are currently under Russian control.
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce made this statement on March 24, when she was asked about recent comments by U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. Witkoff had previously said that he didn’t regard Putin as a “bad guy” and seemed to be parroting Kremlin propaganda.
Bruce declined to comment on the matter, saying that there were ongoing diplomatic talks between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. She also mentioned that there were many summits and conversations happening, but she couldn’t comment on them.
The U.S. officials can’t discuss the details of a peace proposal until there is a full ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv. Bruce said that once this happens, they can then discuss the differences in what proceeds after that for an enduring peace.
This comes as U.S. delegates concluded lengthy talks with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia on March 24. The closed-door negotiations were expected to focus on Washington‘s push for a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and a potential complete cessation of hostilities.
The U.S. had held talks with Ukrainian officials the previous day, ahead of the Saudi Arabia talks. Witkoff had also spoken about “these so-called four regions”, an apparent reference to the Russian-occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. He claimed that there have been referendums where the overwhelming majority of people wanted to be under Russian rule.
However, Russia’s claim has been rejected by the international community. The Kremlin officially annexed the four regions in September 2022, following sham referendums held at gunpoint.
A Kremlin official reportedly said that Russia aims to cement its hold over the four Ukrainian oblasts during peace negotiations with the U.S.