The planned counter-offensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces has taken a back seat to talk of a possible negotiated settlement between Kiev and Moscow, but some White House officials believe that the next phase of hostilities could “give a boost” to diplomacy, writes The New York Times.
As the newspaper notes, the US authorities remain wary of calls for a ceasefire or start peace talks, especially those that do not involve the withdrawal of Russian troops and come from China. Some European officials are also skeptical. Ukrainian authorities say they will not agree to talks until Russian troops are pushed back; the Russian side also “shows no signs of willingness to make concessions or engage in meaningful dialogue,” writes the NYT.
However, US officials say aides to US President Joe Biden are not ruling out the possibility of negotiations and are trying to determine an outcome that could be acceptable to both Kyiv and Moscow. Most of all, Biden aides and European officials hope that Ukraine will make significant progress during the counteroffensive, which will give it more “leverage”.
“I know senior administration officials talk regularly with our Ukrainian counterparts about what the world will ultimately look like,” Congressman Adam Smith, a leading Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told the publication. At the same time, Washington and Kyiv often talk about “how to arm the Armed Forces of Ukraine and help win back as much territory as possible,” he added.
Source: Rosbalt
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