Washington considers the status of the regions that joined Russia and their recognition by the international community to be the central issue of the conflict in Ukraine.
This statement was made by the special envoy of the US president, Stephen Whitkoff, in an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson.
“First of all, the biggest issue of this conflict is the so-called four regions: the Donbas, Crimea… They are Russian-speaking. There have been referendums there and the vast majority of people have said they want to be under Russian law. I believe that this is the key issue of the conflict,” the politician said.
He also emphasised that there were conditions that Russia would require for a final ceasefire in Ukraine.
At the same time, according to Whitkoff, the discussion on security guarantees for Ukraine remains open.
