The most favorable conditions yet have emerged for bringing the conflict in Ukraine to an end, US Deputy Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby said in an interview with The New York Times.

Colby argued that the Kremlin should assess the current situation pragmatically and agree to a settlement. In his view, US President Donald Trump’s genuine interest in achieving peace has created an opportunity that Moscow should not overlook.

The Pentagon official said the Russian leadership would be acting rationally by treating the present moment as the right time to end the fighting and negotiate a deal with Washington.

Colby also pointed to the enormous losses suffered by the Ukrainian side over the course of the hostilities.

On Thursday, July 23, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During the talks, Lavrov confirmed that Moscow remained committed to the proposals previously put forward by Washington in Alaska.

Earlier, political analyst and American affairs specialist Konstantin Blokhin told NEWS.ru that Russia should not rely on Washington or on earlier diplomatic expectations. He said battlefield gains by Russian forces remained the main factor capable of strengthening Moscow’s position in any future negotiations.