Championing The Principles of Liberty

We’re thrilled to share some fantastic news! We have secured $10,000 in matching funds, offering a unique opportunity for our supporters to double their impact. Donate Today!

$15,112 of $60,000 raised

Blinken, Sullivan Oppose General Milley’s Appeal for Diplomacy in Ukraine

by | Nov 14, 2022

Blinken, Sullivan Oppose General Milley’s Appeal for Diplomacy in Ukraine

by | Nov 14, 2022

chief of staff of the us army gen mark a milley 9e80c7 1600

While Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley has publicly voiced support for diplomacy between Ukraine and Russia, other Biden administration officials are against the idea, CNN reported on Friday.

Citing unnamed administration officials, the report said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan disagree with Milley and don’t think it’s time to make a serious push for peace talks.

In a speech to the Economic Club of New York last week, Milley said that he saw an opportunity for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. “When there’s an opportunity to negotiate when peace can be achieved, seize it,” he said. “Seize the moment.”

The CNN report said that Milley has in recent weeks “led a strong push to seek a diplomatic solution” to the fighting. But his position is not a popular one in the administration, and one official said that the State Department has the opposite view of Milley.

The report reads: “One official explained that the State Department is on the opposite side of the pole from Milley. That dynamic has led to a unique situation where military brass are more fervently pushing for diplomacy than US diplomats.”

Throughout the war, Blinken and his State Department have shown little interest in diplomacy with Russia. Blinken has only held one known phone call with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, since the February 24 invasion, and the conversation was focused on a potential prisoner swap, not the war in Ukraine.

According to media reports, Sullivan had held recent talks with his Russian counterpart, Nikolai Patrushev, and the White House has confirmed there’s been high-level communication with Russia. Sullivan also encouraged Ukraine to soften its stance on talks with Russia, but he still does not agree that it’s time to push Kyiv to negotiate with Moscow.

Russia on Friday announced it completed its withdrawal from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Friday. According to other media reports, some U.S. officials see the coming winter and Ukraine retaking Kherson as a good opportunity for peace talks.

While there are now growing calls for diplomacy, the U.S. and NATO still have big plans to arm and train Ukraine for years to come. The U.S. recently announced it was opening a command in Germany to oversee its mission in Ukraine that will be staffed by 300 military personnel and led by a three-star general. The command is set to open in 2023.

This article was originally featured at Antiwar.com and is republished with permission.

About Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com. Follow him on Twitter @decampdave.

Our Books

10books 2023facebookcoverphoto 02

Related Articles

Related

TGIF: Inspiration for the Nakba?

TGIF: Inspiration for the Nakba?

The unspeakable violence that plagues Israel and Palestine daily relates in part to the assertion of an ancient, ancestral, and even divinely bestowed property right to a parcel of land, which is often called "holy" and "promised." For background, here are a few...

read more
A Libertarian Defense of Surrogacy

A Libertarian Defense of Surrogacy

Amidst announcements of gay conservatives having children by surrogate, commentators such as Michael Knowles and Katy Faust levied criticism against the practice of surrogacy in general. These commentators, however, get a lot wrong. Let’s examine each of the most...

read more
The Real Problem With Our Foreign Policy…

The Real Problem With Our Foreign Policy…

Over the weekend Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin explained to the American people what’s really wrong with U.S. foreign policy. Some might find his conclusions surprising. The U.S. standing in the world is damaged not because we spent 20 years fighting an Afghan...

read more
Kissinger and My Interstate 81 Epiphany

Kissinger and My Interstate 81 Epiphany

Henry Kissinger died last Wednesday. So far, I’ve been handling the grief pretty well. Kissinger was the most esteemed war criminal in American history. As Richard Nixon’s National Security Advisor, Kissinger summarized the president's order for bombing Cambodia:...

read more

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This