Antony Blinken: "Putin has already lost"

Times Radio

10 Sept 202302:20

Summary

TLDRBlinken asserts Putin has already failed in his goal to erase Ukraine's independence. Ukraine's future boundaries remain to be settled by Ukrainians, who show determination to reclaim seized territory. Meaningful diplomacy requires Putin's interest, absent so far. Blinken denies enabling attacks beyond Ukraine's borders, noting Russia launches daily indiscriminate missile strikes killing civilians, forcing Ukraine to defend itself. He conveys the near-universal G20 support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, as countries feel consequences and want Russian aggression to end.

Takeaways

😠 Putin has failed in his attempt to erase Ukraine's independence and subsume it into Russia
👍 Ukrainians have a strong determination to regain control of seized territories
🤝 Any negotiations require genuine openness from Putin, which is lacking so far
🌎 There is broad international support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity
💣 Russia launches daily deadly attacks across Ukraine targeting civilians
😢 17 civilians killed in one missile attack on a marketplace while Blinken was visiting
🛡 Ukraine has to make decisions on defending itself and retaking seized land
🚚 Other countries are helping provide Ukraine defensive capabilities
😮 Many G20 countries feel the consequences and want Russian aggression to end
🙏 There is very strong G20 support overall for Ukraine's sovereignty

Q & A

What was Putin trying to achieve originally according to the speaker?
-Putin was originally trying to erase Ukraine from the map and subsume it into Russia by seizing its territory.
Has Putin achieved his original goals so far according to the speaker?
-No, the speaker says Putin has already failed in achieving his original goals of erasing Ukraine's independence and subsuming it into Russia.
Who will determine where the final borders and lines are drawn according to the speaker?
-The speaker says it will be up to the Ukrainians to determine where the final borders and lines are drawn.
What is the current Ukrainian determination and goal according to the speaker?
-The speaker found a strong determination amongst Ukrainians to continue working to get back the territory seized by Russia.
What is required from both sides for successful negotiations?
-The speaker says it takes two to tango - negotiations require interest and willingness to engage from both Ukraine and Russia.
What type of end to the war do Ukrainians and allies want?
-They want the war to end on just and durable terms that reflect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
How are civilians impacted by the war daily?
-Civilians face indiscriminate Russian attacks on civilian targets daily across Ukraine, resulting in deaths and impacting their ability to do basic tasks like buy food.
What is the role of Ukraine's allies in the conflict?
-The role of allies is to help Ukraine defend itself and take back seized territory in order to end Russian aggression.
What impact is the conflict having globally?
-Countries around the world are feeling the economic and social consequences and want Russian aggression against Ukraine to end.
What level of support does Ukraine have globally?
-The speaker notes there is strong support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty amongst virtually every G20 nation.