--- title: "US Permanent Representative to NATO Explains How to Break the Deadlock Between Ukraine and Russia" description: "US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker stated that Kyiv and Moscow are in a deadlock, but a way out could be local cease-fire regimes, including an \"energy ceasefire.\"" date: 2026-09-17T11:14:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/us-nato-ambassador-ukraine-russia-deadlock tags: [ukraine, russia, nato, us-diplomacy, ceasefire, energy, trump, zelensky] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # US Permanent Representative to NATO Explains How to Break the Deadlock Between Ukraine and Russia ![US Permanent Representative to NATO against American flags explains how to break the deadlock between Ukraine and Russia](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/18/ssha-puti-k-miru-ukraina-rossiya/ssha-puti-k-miru-ukraina-rossiya-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker stated that Ukraine and Russia are in a deadlock, but the US knows how to get out of the situation. - Among the blocking factors are the fight for positions on the front and preparations for the winter campaign. - A possible way out is named in local cease-fire regimes: energy, hospitals, civilian facilities. - On September 16, Zelensky called on Russia to provide a list of facilities for an "energy ceasefire" and a mechanism of guarantees; the Kremlin assessed the idea positively. Matthew Whitaker, the US Permanent Representative to NATO, stated that at the current stage Ukraine and Russia are unable to reach an agreement and end the war on their own, but Washington, in his words, knows how to find a way out of this situation. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Fox News. According to the American diplomat's assessment, Kyiv and Moscow have found themselves in a deadlock following preliminary attempts to negotiate a peace agreement, and it is precisely now that an external impulse is needed to unblock the process. ### Deadlock on the Front and in Negotiations Whitaker noted that one of the reasons for the stalemate is that right now both Ukraine and Russia are doing everything possible to improve their positions on the battlefield. The US Permanent Representative drew attention to the fact that each side periodically reports new successes on the front, which in essence entrenches the status quo and creates no conditions for compromise. In such a situation, in his logic, neither side is ready to make concessions until it feels itself in a stronger position. ### The Winter Factor as a Blocking Element Another factor blocking peace efforts, Whitaker named the active preparations of both sides for the important winter period. In the American diplomat's assessment, Russia expects to achieve significant results in winter if its strategy proves successful. This means that Moscow is likely not interested in fixing its current positions before it has exhausted the possibilities of the winter campaign, which further delays the prospect of negotiations. ### An Energy Ceasefire as a Possible Way Out At the same time, Whitaker expressed the opinion that a number of separate cease-fire agreements could bring the parties closer to a final peaceful settlement. Among the possible areas he named energy infrastructure, hospitals, and other civilian facilities. This thesis aligns with recent statements around the so-called "energy ceasefire": US President Donald Trump announced an allegedly reached agreement between Ukraine and Russia to cease strikes on energy facilities, and on September 16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Russia to provide Kyiv with a list of facilities that should not be subject to attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces under such a ceasefire. Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is ready to take this step if it is confident in the seriousness of the adversary's intentions, and is awaiting a specific mechanism guaranteeing Russia's compliance with the terms. The Kremlin, in turn, positively assessed Trump's idea of an "energy ceasefire." ### Contradictory Data The statements of the parties contain a notable discrepancy in assessing the current state of the process. On the one hand, US President Donald Trump publicly declared a "reached" agreement between Ukraine and Russia to cease strikes on energy facilities, which implies the existence of a coordinated decision. On the other hand, US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker characterizes the situation as a deadlock in which the parties "cannot reach an agreement," and Zelensky on September 16 effectively confirmed that there is still no real mechanism or list of facilities, and Ukraine is merely "ready" to take a step if guarantees are in place. Thus, the claim of a "reached agreement" and the diplomatic assessment of a deadlock with no working mechanism coexist in the public sphere, and until specific terms and guarantees are fixed, it is premature to speak of a de facto achieved ceasefire. The totality of the statements indicates that Washington is viewing local cease-fire regimes β€” primarily in energy and around civilian facilities β€” as a practical tool for breaking the deadlock, while both sides of the conflict continue to strengthen their positions on the front and prepare for winter. The outcome will be whether the parties can turn public statements into a fixed mechanism with guarantees of compliance. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [In the US, they explained how Ukraine and Russia could be brought closer to a peace agreement](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ssha-poyasnili-k-mozhut-nabliziti-ukrayinu-1789643357.html) - Основной источник: заявлСния ΠœΡΡ‚Ρ‚ΡŒΡŽ Π£ΠΈΡ‚Ρ‚Π°ΠΊΠ΅Ρ€Π° ΠΎ Ρ‚ΡƒΠΏΠΈΠΊΠ΅, Π·ΠΈΠΌΠ½Π΅ΠΌ Ρ„Π°ΠΊΡ‚ΠΎΡ€Π΅ ΠΈ Π»ΠΎΠΊΠ°Π»ΡŒΠ½Ρ‹Ρ… Ρ€Π΅ΠΆΠΈΠΌΠ°Ρ… прСкращСния огня. - [Trump's team explained why Russia and Ukraine have not started negotiations](https://www.unian.net/world/peregovory-ukraina-rossiya-u-trampa-obyasnili-pochemu-strany-ne-pristupili-k-peregovoram-13502610.html) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ контСкст ΠΎ ΠΏΡ€ΠΈΡ‡ΠΈΠ½Π°Ρ… отсутствия ΠΏΠΎΠ»Π½ΠΎΡ†Π΅Π½Π½Ρ‹Ρ… ΠΏΠ΅Ρ€Π΅Π³ΠΎΠ²ΠΎΡ€ΠΎΠ². - [What is holding Russia and Ukraine back from negotiations: an unexpected statement from the US](https://glavred.info/war/chto-sderzhivaet-rf-i-ukrainu-ot-peregovorov-v-ssha-sdelali-neozhidannoe-zayavlenie-10797428.html) - Π‘ΠΎΠ²ΠΏΠ°Π΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ с тСзисом ΠΎ Ρ„Π°ΠΊΡ‚ΠΎΡ€Π°Ρ…, ΡΠ΄Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠΈΠ²Π°ΡŽΡ‰ΠΈΡ… ΠΏΠ΅Ρ€Π΅Π³ΠΎΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π½Ρ‹ΠΉ процСсс. - [Trump had "good negotiations" with Putin - Russia will not attack NATO territory](https://ru.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/27/trump-russia-nato-attack) - Π”ΠΎΠΏΠΎΠ»Π½ΠΈΡ‚Π΅Π»ΡŒΠ½Ρ‹ΠΉ контСкст ΠΏΠΎ Π»ΠΈΠ½ΠΈΠΈ Π’Ρ€Π°ΠΌΠΏβ€”ΠŸΡƒΡ‚ΠΈΠ½; Π½Π΅ являСтся прямым ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ΠΌ «энСргСтичСского пСрСмирия», использован ΠΊΠ°ΠΊ Ρ„ΠΎΠ½ΠΎΠ²Ρ‹ΠΉ контСкст. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who stated that the US knows how to break the deadlock between Ukraine and Russia? **A:** This was stated by Matthew Whitaker, the US Permanent Representative to NATO, according to RBC-Ukraine, citing Fox News. ### Q: According to Whitaker, what factors are blocking peace efforts? **A:** Both sides' fight to improve their positions on the battlefield and active preparations for the winter period, in which Russia expects to achieve significant results. ### Q: What way out of the deadlock did the US Permanent Representative propose? **A:** A number of separate cease-fire agreements, primarily regarding energy infrastructure, hospitals, and other civilian facilities. ### Q: What did Zelensky say on September 16 about the "energy ceasefire"? **A:** He called on Russia to provide a list of facilities that should not be attacked by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and is awaiting a specific mechanism guaranteeing Russia's compliance with the terms. ### Q: How did the Kremlin react to Trump's idea of an "energy ceasefire"? **A:** The Kremlin positively assessed this idea.