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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he hoped a successful offensive by Ukraine would force Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to talks on ending Russia's occupation of Ukraine.
Speaking during a joint conference with his Italian counterpart, Blinken said the United States is "convinced that they will continue to succeed" after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted that a Ukrainian counter-offensive was underway.
"Success in the counteroffensive would do two things: it would strengthen its [Ukraine's] position at any negotiating table that might be set up, and it might have the effect of actually forcing Putin to finally focus on negotiations to 'put an end to the war he started,' said Blinken.
"In this sense, it can bring peace closer, not take away its achievement", said Blinken during the press conference with the Italian chief diplomat, Antonio Tajani.
Blinken said the offensive has shown the need to "maximize our support for Ukraine now so that it can succeed on the battlefield."
Russia has publicly supported the organization of negotiations, with China as mediator.
The United States has expressed skepticism about such efforts, saying that Russia is not serious about negotiations and is only interested in justifying itself for the invasion.
Peace must be "just and lasting," Blinken said.
Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February of last year. Ukraine claimed that after the launch of the counteroffensive, on June 12, it had managed to liberate four settlements in the eastern region of Donetsk./VOA
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