At the end of 2022, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley suggested that Kyiv enter negotiations with Moscow, leveraging its successes on the battlefield; however, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken opposed this.
According to an article in The New York Times, following the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, some Republicans called for Blinken's resignation, viewing it as a failure. However, at the onset of the full-scale war against Ukraine, he experienced his "moment of glory":
"As Putin was preparing to attack, Blinken delivered a speech in Berlin, recalling how Presidents John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan stood up to Soviet power, asserting that the United States would once again defend the principles of international peace and security."
The Secretary of State actively persuaded allies and partners to support Ukraine, forming a coalition of around 50 countries that agreed to assist the Ukrainians with weapons or impose economic sanctions against the Russian Federation.
The article notes that, since Russia and Ukraine were not inclined toward negotiations, Blinken was "more of a military strategist than a peacemaker." In particular, he frequently clashed with more risk-averse Pentagon officials in favor of sending substantial weaponry to Ukraine.
And at the end of 2022, when Milley suggested that the Ukrainian side capitalize on its battlefield victories and initiate peace talks, Blinken insisted that the fight must continue.
Blinken's Statements on the War
It is worth noting that on January 20 at 12:00 PM Eastern European Time, the inauguration of the newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, will take place.
Last fall, he appointed Florida Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State.
In a joint article with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Blinken warned that reducing aid to Ukraine and forcing a premature ceasefire would result in "peace through capitulation" for Ukraine.