Blinken: Successful Ukrainian counteroffensive is the quickest way to start negotiations

He said this in an interview with Fox News.

"We know that the Ukrainians are contemplating a counteroffensive in the weeks to come. Let’s see what happens with that. And ultimately, its success on the battlefield is the best way and probably the quickest way to actually get to a negotiation that produces a just and durable peace," Blinken said.

He also emphasized that Russia has already failed, as it has not managed to capture Ukraine and "wipe it off the map."

"Russia has already failed in the sense that what they were trying to accomplish initially was to erase Ukraine from the map, to subsume it into Russia, to eliminate its existence as an independent state. That’s failed and it’s not going to succeed," the Secretary of State explained.

In addition, he noted that the United States is open to the possibility that China could mediate in Russia's war against Ukraine. However, Blinken emphasized that the condition for this should be the recognition of the sovereignty of Ukraine's territories and communication directly with the Ukrainian side.

"I think we’re open to any country engaging in responsible efforts to try to advance peace, and that begins with a couple of things. It begins, first of all, with the recognition that what – that what’s fundamentally at stake is the territorial integrity and sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, so any peace agreement has to have that as its foundation. It’s also very important that anyone who’s engaging in efforts to advance peace be talking directly to the Ukrainians. They’re the aggrieved party," says Blinken.

• U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin believes that Ukraine has enough resources to succeed in a counteroffensive.