The news was provided by the Washington Post, which cites sources close to the negotiations.
These sources speak of a “calculated attempt” on the part of the United States to secure Kyiv’s support for governments whose voters are growing tired of the conflict and its economic consequences.
“Fatigue over Ukraine is a reality for some of our partners,” a US official told the newspaper, speaking on condition of anonymity.
However, the US government also informed Kyiv that none of the Russian offers to negotiate had any credibility, given the exaggerated demands, which in practice amounted to unconditional surrender and tacit recognition of Russian sovereignty over the incorporated Ukrainian lands.
Indeed, in late September, after the Russian annexation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that it was “impossible” to negotiate with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. “We will negotiate with the new president,” he said in a speech.
However, US officials consulted by the newspaper do not rule out the possibility of Zelensky’s support to reopen negotiations, once winter arrives, when freezing temperatures practically make fighting impossible and the window of diplomacy opens.
For now, given the Ukrainian advance on Giresun and a possible attack last week on the port of Sevastopol, US officials are now wondering whether Ukraine intends to launch attacks on Crimea, a strategy that could end all expectations of a peace agreement. Given the strategic importance that this region, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, for the Kremlin.
According to the newspaper’s sources, “some G7 countries that have called for a just and negotiated peace see a potential turning point if Ukrainian forces approach Crimea.”
AH // ZO
Lusa / end
