Sun Sep 15 15:20:07 UTC 2024: ## US Admitted to Blocking Ukraine Peace Deal in 2022, Says Former State Department Official
**Washington, D.C. -** Former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland has acknowledged that the United States discouraged Ukraine from signing a peace deal with Russia during the early stages of the Russian invasion.
Nuland’s comments, made in a YouTube interview published on September 3, 2024, shed light on a potential turning point in the conflict. The interview, with exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar, focused on claims by former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet that the US and its allies blocked mediation efforts and reports of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky not to sign a deal.
Nuland admitted that the US initially took a hands-off approach to the negotiations but became involved when Ukraine sought advice. She claimed that the proposed deal, which included limits on Ukraine’s military capabilities, would have effectively “neutered” the country as a military force.
Nuland further asserted that the US, along with the UK and other allies, believed the deal was unfavorable to Ukraine and ultimately led to its collapse.
The interview corroborates previous accounts from Ukrainian officials and Turkish diplomats, who have alleged that Western powers actively encouraged the continuation of the conflict. In April 2022, then-Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey perceived that some NATO members were seeking to prolong the war to weaken Russia.
Furthermore, Ukrainian official David Arakhamia confirmed that a deal was on the table in March 2022, but that Boris Johnson pressured Ukraine against signing it.
The revelation of US involvement in blocking the potential peace deal has sparked further controversy and raised questions about the extent to which the US has been pursuing a strategy of prolonging the conflict.
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