Ukraine, Waltz (U.S.): 'Kiev needs leader who will talk to us and Moscow to end war'

Milan, Mar. 2 (LaPresse) – U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser Mike Waltz in an interview with CNN indicated U.S. support for new leadership in Ukraine after the verbal clash in the Oval Office of the White House Friday between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “We need a leader who can talk to us, eventually to the Russians as well, and end this war,” Waltz said during the ‘State of the Union’ broadcast. “And if it becomes clear that President Zelensky's personal or political motivations diverge from ending the fighting in this country, then I think we have a real problem on our hands,” he said. Waltz said the Ukrainian leader needs to make it clear “publicly and privately” that he is “ready for peace.” The U.S. national security adviser also offered a new view of possible concessions during negotiations for a deal between Russia and Ukraine: “What I'm saying is that this war has to end, and that's going to require concessions on the ground. It's going to take Russian concessions on security guarantees. It will take all sides at the table. And we are working hard to bring these negotiations forward,” he said. On the details of these concessions for Russia, Waltz replied, “It's clearly going to be some kind of territorial concessions for future security guarantees,” pointing to the “European-led security guarantees,” including boots on the ground from the United Kingdom and France. U.S. security guarantees, he added, are “to be negotiated.”