U.S. will not push Ukraine to reach a cease-fire, a top Pentagon official says.

The United States will not pressure Ukraine into negotiating a cease-fire even as Russia grinds out steady gains on the ground in the country’s embattled east, a top Pentagon official said on Tuesday.

“We’re not going to tell the Ukrainians how to negotiate, what to negotiate and when to negotiate,” said Colin H. Kahl, the under secretary of defense for policy. “They’re going to set those terms for themselves.”

Mr. Kahl’s comments came as Ukraine’s attempt to hold on to its territory in the eastern Donbas region reached a critical juncture on Tuesday, with Ukrainian and Russian soldiers clashing in street battles in the city of Sievierodonetsk and Russia edging closer to claiming the city. Russian forces and their separatist allies control an estimated 80 to 90 percent of the Donbas, according to Ukrainian officials, giving the Kremlin potential leverage in future negotiations. Read more

@nytimes