Matthew Whitaker, U.S. ambassador to NATO, told Newsmax on Tuesday that there is no military solution to Russia’s war in Ukraine, stressing that peace can be achieved only through negotiation and diplomacy.
Whitaker noted that President Donald Trump’s special envoy is preparing to meet with Russian officials this week.
On “Finnerty,” Whitaker offered a sober assessment of the ongoing conflict, just one day before Steve Witkoff, Trump’s foreign envoy, travels to Moscow for high-stakes talks. The Kremlin requested the meeting in an apparent effort to avoid a fresh wave of U.S. sanctions.
“I’m fairly pessimistic,” Whitaker said when asked if Russia could be compelled to negotiate by Friday. “But at the same time, President Trump is 100% right. This war needs to end, the senseless killing that we see on the battlefield and in some of the cities that are being bombarded in Ukraine.”
Whitaker was blunt in his assessment: “Ultimately, there’s no battlefield solution to this war. It’s got to be negotiated. It’s got to be through diplomacy.”
Witkoff is expected to arrive in Moscow on Wednesday and meet with Russian officials. Trump has given Russia a Friday deadline to agree to a peace deal or a ceasefire, or face new sanctions, which could include penalties on its economy and countries that buy its energy exports, such as China and India.
Thousands of soldiers are dying every week, Whitaker said, noting estimates of 7,000 to 9,000 combat deaths weekly, along with civilian casualties.
“I hope special envoy Witkoff can give a sincere offer to the Russians to end the war,” Whitaker said.
“They’re the ones that are continuing to pursue the war.”
Trump recently shortened his original 50-day peace timeline after expressing frustration over Russia’s lack of movement in negotiations.
The president last week ordered the repositioning of two U.S. nuclear submarines, citing the need to remain “prepared” after provocative comments from Russian Security Council Deputy Chair Dmitry Medvedev.
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