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Italian media reported US and NATO could push for negotiations if Ukraine retakes Kherson and Russia says it’s pulling out of the city
Originally published on AntiWar
Some US and Western officials believe this winter will provide an opportunity for diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine as they don’t think either side can fully achieve their goals in the war, NBC News reported on Wednesday, citing anonymous sources.
“In the winter everything slows down,” one Western official said. “The potential for talks, we would like to see that happening.” The report said Western military officials don’t believe that Ukraine can drive Russia out of all the territory it has captured.
Also on Wednesday, Russia announced that it was pulling out of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson. US and Western officials told NBC that if Ukraine retakes Kherson, it could put the government of Volodymyr Zelensky in a “better position to negotiate.”
The Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported this week that the US and NATO might think peace talks are possible if Ukraine retakes Kherson. The paper said the Western powers are considering diplomacy due to the threat of tactical nuclear weapons being used and the fact that if Russia is defeated in Ukraine, it may become closer to China.
The officials also told NBC that Russia losing Kherson could make Vladimir Putin’s government less likely to talk, but Moscow reaffirmed on Wednesday that it’s open to negotiations. “We are ready to negotiate, of course, taking into account the realities that are emerging at the moment,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Throughout the war, the US has maintained that it won’t push Ukraine to the negotiating table. The US and its allies also discouraged peace talks with Russia when a deal was within reach after in-person negotiations between Ukraine and Russia were held in Istanbul at the end of March.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson traveled to Kyiv after the Istanbul talks and urged Ukraine not to negotiate with Russia, and the negotiations ultimately failed. But now, there does appear to be a shift in the Western approach, with the US at least exploring the idea of diplomacy.
A Ukrainian official told NBC that when National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan visited Kyiv last week, he broached the idea of when the conflict will end with Zelensky and whether it could include a diplomatic solution. The report said Sullivan didn’t want to pressure Ukraine to negotiate but said Kyiv should change its stance on negotiations to maintain support from its Western backers.
President Biden on Wednesday reiterated the administration’s public stance that it’s up to Ukraine when to negotiate with Russia. “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” he told reporters.
Zelensky recently signed a decree ruling out peace talks with Russia as long as Putin is president but appeared to drop that demand this week after the suggestion from Sullivan. Zelensky said he was open to talks with Russia, but he maintained conditions that are non-starters for negotiations, including a full Russian withdrawal and Moscow paying for war damages.
While diplomacy is being discussed, the US and NATO are also making preparations to support Ukraine in its war for years to come, and Russia has been reinforcing its positions after mobilizing 300,000 fresh troops, signaling an offensive may be coming. According to NBC, Congress is planning to pass a fresh aid package for Ukraine worth somewhere between $40 billion and $60 billion.
Of course the US wants Russia not to launch a winter offensive. They will sign a peace deal and then break it so they can continue posing and planting flags in front of cameras in the Spring, but they don’t want to actually face a Russian winter offensive and deal with the hard facts it will bring.
Well said. US needs this. The US plan for terrorism in occupied 404 nation is going awry. Instead of Russia being trapped in quagmire, the West is bleeding economically, materially and in brainwashed manpower. There is hardly any groundswell support for the West or 404 state.
I bet everyone will eventually agree that the Dneiper will make a nice border. That and the Donbass, and Crimea being Russia. Ukraine just has to fess up that they screwed up back in 2014, when they could have granted some autonomy to those provinces, and they could have kept them all since the people would be happy and not threatened by Nazis because they speak Russian.
Ukraine sold its soul to the banderite fascists in cahoots with the neocons long ago. Started most recently with the Orange Revolution and Yushchenko, the US toady.
Before that, it was Freeland’s grandfather, the nazi bootlicker for a candy bar and a stolen printing press ukrop. “Look, mein Fuhrer. Look at all the inspiring stories I’ve come up with for your wonderful political movement. Can I have a picture with you for my office? Pretty please?”
Odessa must be taken, then get Sandu out of Moldova and link up also with the transnistria, moldova, odessa , all the way across to kherson. Now the thing is, pinch through west of donetsk and come down western side of ukraine with belarus, then cut enemy off above to the north of odessa. the war will be overvsoon but it has a ways to go with lot of future real dramatic action. starting to see that now. ukraine hamburger meat is real cheap now i heard. is that what zelensky has for lunch ? wait until the population without electric takes to the streets
i think to liberate odessa Russia will need more than 300 k soldiers, looking the map there is a long area to cover
Yep, bu Kiev is on the Eastern side of the Dniepr, I am right? 😁 THE RUSSIANS SHOULD OWN THE EASTERN BANK, AND ODESSA TOO BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT WAS RAISED BY A RUSSIAN TSAR.
That part of right bank is difficult to defend. In absence of civilians the option to break the Kakhovska hydropower plant’road is now possible.
The ukrainian’s steppe is cloudy in winter. Without satellite imaging, Ukrainian army can’t do anything.
Who are these guys? Their grandfathers grandfathers froze to death in Siberian wars.
Not a chance, the last Ukrainian has no been killed yet!
Last of the Mohicans I feel sorry for, but those knot-tops? No way.
Funny. I see winter as the time the iceman cometh.
Russia is preparing for complete victory and surrender of nazi kiev regime RF will entrap what is left of ukr army and its foolish mercenaries and pound them to pieces. Biden is a liar, communist, and impostor, an evil person not to be trusted. He is a criminal who belongs in jail.
Have the Ukrainians ever taken a territory that the Russians haven’t left first?
This is how Ukraine was made, by Bolsheviks.
USA does not want the war to stop. Their worse nightmare is that war ends.
The greatest set up in the history of modern warfare is unfolding right before our eyes, at least for those that are not blind.
“Russia is demoraliZed, defeated and running scared. The gallant, Kievian liberation forces will be in Moscow for spring time.”
Sure…….
Dunkirk anyone ?
Russia will retake Kherson by summer 2023 by then the Kiev regime will no longer be in control of many areas outside of kiev
Why would Russia hand back the Russian territory of Kherson? Meanwhile, munching on the popcorn and watching the show unfold.