U.S. sees no signs Putin ready to stop - Blinken

At the moment, Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin, show no signs of participating in responsible talks and ending Russia's bloody aggression against Ukraine.

This was stated on Thursday at a press briefing in Washington by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Today, I have to say, on the one hand, we commend Ukraine for being at the table despite being under bombardment every minute of the day. At the same time, I’ve not seen any meaningful efforts by Russia to bring this war that it’s perpetrating to a conclusion through diplomacy," he said.

According to the secretary of state, the United States fully supports Ukraine's efforts to de-escalate through diplomacy, to reach a ceasefire, and the withdrawal of Russian forces. In this regard, Blinken welcomed the efforts of other nations, including France, Germany, Israel, and Turkey.

The U.S. top diplomat stressed that diplomacy requires a responsible attitude of both parties to the negotiations and direct de-escalation.

"I don’t see signs right now that Putin is prepared to stop. On the contrary, if you listen to his most recent remarks yesterday, that suggests he is moving in the opposite direction," said the U.S. secretary of state.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the war with Russian invaders has been going on in Ukraine since February 24. International financial intelligence companies say Russia's economy is rapidly approaching default due to unprecedented sanctions and export restrictions imposed by the West.