WASHINGTON — U.S. and European officials have begun quietly talking to the Ukrainian government about what possible peace negotiations with Russia might entail to end the war, according to one current senior U.S. official and one former senior U.S. official familiar with the discussions.
The conversations have included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a deal, the officials said. Some of the talks, which officials described as delicate, took place last month during a meeting of representatives from more than 50 nations supporting Ukraine, including NATO members, known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the officials said.
The discussions are an acknowledgment of the dynamics militarily on the ground in Ukraine and politically in the U.S. and Europe, officials said.
They began amid concerns among U.S. and European officials that the war has reached a stalemate and about the ability to continue providing aid to Ukraine, officials said. Biden administration officials also are worried that Ukraine is running out of forces, while Russia has a seemingly endless supply, officials said. Ukraine is also struggling with recruiting and has recently seen public protests about some of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s open-ended conscription requirements.
And there is unease in the U.S. government with how much less public attention the war in Ukraine has garnered since the Israel-Hamas war began nearly a month ago, the officials said. Officials fear that shift could make securing additional aid for Kyiv more difficult.
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I hope Russia takes all of Ukraine now for everyone’s sake. A split East/West Ukraine just creates a lingering international flashpoint for decades, right on the border of the world’s largest nuclear power. That’s dangerous business and the WORST outcome because the conflict is never ended. Sorry Zelensky, but this is why you don’t try to use your people and nation as a pawn in the conflict between great powers.
Also if you’re worried about Russian imperialism or whatever: Russia annexing Ukraine means they’re also responsible for reconstructing it, you still are handing them a huge burden after this destructive conflict. Theoretically this concession could also be used to renegotiate a new relationship with Russia but we both know that won’t ever happen.