While Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is warning the failure of the next negotiations with Russia's Vladimir Putin might lead to World War III, the Biden administration U.S. ambassador to the United Nations remains skeptical.
"We have supported the negotiations that President Zelenskyy has attempted to do with the Russians – and I do use the word attempted, because the negotiations seem to be one-sided, and the Russians have not leaned in to any possibility for a negotiated and diplomatic solution," Amb. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.
"You know we tried quite a bit before Russia decided to move forward in this brutal attack on Ukraine, and those diplomatic efforts were not responded to well by the Russians, and they're not responding now."
Ultimately, it might come down to Zelenskyy and his Ukrainian forces to hold its ground against Putin's invasion.
"We're still hopeful that the Ukrainian effort will end this brutal war," Thomas-Greenfield added to host Jake Tapper.
Zelenskyy has to weigh the future of his nation against Putin's demands of Crimea and the Donbass region, along with Ukraine demilitarizing, stop seeking NATO membership, and staying neutral.
"This is for the Ukrainians themselves to decide what is too much for them," she continued. "It is not our decision on that. And we support their efforts.
"So I can't preview what they will end up coming up with in their negotiations with the Russians, but they know, and I think President Zelenskyy has been clear, people are dying. Russian soldiers are dying. But so many Ukrainian citizens are feeling the impact of this.
"So, he has to take all of that into account as he approached the Russians at the negotiating table."
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