‘It’s not for us to decide:’ US official refuses to be drawn on Biden’s plea to Putin on Ukraine pullout
Top US diplomat Wendy Sherman has refused to be drawn on exactly what Joe Biden’s vision of a Russian “pullout” of Ukraine would be.
The US president said last week, for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine, that he would be willing to speak to Vladimir Putin if he truly wanted to end the war.
He said: “There’s one way for this war to end – the rational way. Putin to pull out of Ukraine, number one.”
But when pressed by Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby, US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman would not be drawn on whether a “pullout” also included withdrawal from Crimea, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
Ms Sherman spoke to Sky News political editor Beth Rigby
She reminded the diplomat that Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had made it clear that “territorial integrity” would include Crimea and asked her if the UK supported his ambition.
But speaking on the Beth Rigby Interviews… programme, Ms Sherman would only say: “We support President Zelenskyy, we support the Ukrainian people. It’s not for us to decide what any negotiated solution would be at the end. It is really up to the Ukrainians.”
Ukraine war latest live: Kremlin admits ‘lots of work ahead’
Ms Sherman went on: “I think that we have always said nothing about Ukraine, without Ukraine and the United States and the United Kingdom.
“Great Britain have been side-by-side in this effort. I’m really just so grateful for everything that Britain has done to support the Ukrainians…. we have a lot ahead of us.
“And what’s important here is there is one aggressor and that’s Vladimir Putin and one victim and that’s Ukraine.
“We’ve seen the Ukrainians will not be victims. They’re going to fight for their country. And it’s why we all support them in every way we possibly can… This can end if Vladimir Putin pulls his troops out.”
Crimea is a huge part of Russia’s history, and Russia has never believed the territory was not Russian.
Read more:
Explainer: Why is Crimea so important to Russia?
Moscow shows no signs of yielding its control over Crimea.
The Kremlin has long said Ukraine must accept Russian conditions to end the fighting, which is now in its 10th month.
It has demanded that Kyiv recognises Crimea as part of Russia and also recognises other annexations by Moscow.
Mr Zelenskyy and his officials have repeatedly rejected those conditions, saying the war will end when the occupied territories are retaken or Russian forces leave them.
Last month, Ukrainian deputy defence minister Volodymyr Havrylov told Sky News, Ukrainian forces could be back in Crimea by the end of December.
Elon Musk has stepped up his attacks on Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill – weeks after a spectacular fallout between the world’s richest man and the US president.
Following weeks of relative silence after clashing with Mr Trump over his “big beautiful bill”, the billionaire vowed to unseat politicians who support it.
In a post on X, Musk said those who had campaigned on cutting spending but then backed the bill “should hang their heads in shame”.
He added: “And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”
Musk also threatened to put their faces on a poster which said “liar” and “voted to increase America’s debt” by $5trn (£3.6trn).
The posts attracted a swift reply from Mr Trump, who claimed the billionaire “may get more subsidy than any human being in history” for his electric car business.
“Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”
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Elon’s dad on the Musk-Trump bust-up
Musk spent at least $250m (£182m) supporting Mr Trump in his presidential campaign and then led the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which sacked about 120,000 federal employees.
He has argued the legislation would greatly increase the US national debt and wipe out the savings he claimed he achieved through DOGE.
As the Senate discussed the package, Musk called it “utterly insane and destructive”.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO said the bill’s massive spending indicated “we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!”
“Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people,” he wrote.
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Musk previously said some of his social media posts during his dramatic fallout with Mr Trump “went too far”.
He had shared a series of posts on X, including one that described Mr Trump’s tax and spending bill as a “disgusting abomination”.
He also claimed, in a since-deleted post, that the president appeared in files relating to the disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
But Musk later wrote: “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.”
In response, the president told the New York Post: “I thought it was very nice that he did that.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be meeting Donald Trump next Monday, according to US officials.
The visit on 7 July comes after Mr Trump suggested it was possible a ceasefire in Gaza could be reached within a week.
On Sunday, he wrote on social media: “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!”
At least 60 people killed across Gaza on Monday, in what turned out to be some of the heaviest attacks in weeks.
Benjamin Netanyahu, left, with Donald Trump during a previous meeting. Pic: Reuters
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, 56,500 people have been killed in the 20-month war.
The visit by Mr Netanyahu to Washington has not been formally announced and the officials who said it would be going ahead spoke on condition of anonymity.
An Israeli official in Washington also confirmed the meeting next Monday.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration was in constant communication with the Israeli government.
She said Mr Trump viewed ending the war in Gaza and returning remaining hostages held by Hamas as a top priority.
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The war in Gaza broke out in retaliation for Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attacks on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw a further 250 taken hostage.
An eight-week ceasefire was reached in the final days of Joe Biden’s US presidency, but Israel resumed the war in March after trying to get Hamas to accept new terms on next steps.
Talks between Israel and Hamas have stalled over whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire.
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