The Biden administration is reportedly changing its approach to Ukraine’s war efforts against Russia.
President Joe Biden has strongly supported Ukraine since war broke out between the two countries in early 2022.
But as Ukraine’s counteroffensive has failed to make major gains, the administration is now seeking an end to the war through negotiations rather than a Ukrainian victory, a White House official told Politico.
“That’s been our theory of the case throughout — the only way this war ends ultimately is through negotiation,” the anonymous official said. “We want Ukraine to have the strongest hand possible when that comes.”
The official said the administration continues to support Ukraine’s war effort and is not “discouraging [Kyiv] from launching any new offensive,” also noting that a timetable hasn’t been set for opening peace talks.
Part of the reason no peace talks have been announced is that the Biden administration could lose political support if it shows signs of conceding to Russia, according to Politico. Biden has publicly said on several occasions that Russia must not be allowed to win the war.
By President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s admission, Ukraine’s counteroffensive failed to meet its goals during the summer, and Kyiv has proposed adding 500,000 troops to the country’s army as its supply of available troops continues to dwindle.
“As they decide how they’re going to posture themselves in the next two to three months, it’s going to become physically harder to operate and go on the offensive,” the White House official told Politico.
Western support for Ukraine’s war effort is decreasing as the counteroffensive stalls.
Should the U.S. continue sending aid to Ukraine?
Kyiv failed to lock in new military aid from the European Union going into the new year, and the U.S. Congress is split over whether to include any more funding without certain conditions.
“Time has become a stark disadvantage when it comes to Ukraine’s manpower and industrial capacity, and that’s true even if the West continues its support,” said George Beebe, a former CIA analyst and head of strategy for the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, according to Politico.
“The longer this goes on the more we’re going to have to concede up front just to get the Russians to the negotiating table.”
During a news conference this month, Zelenskyy expressed openness to negotiations with Russia, but only if Moscow removes its entire military presence from Ukraine, according to Politico.
Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed to indicate last week that negotiations are on the table if Russia can keep the territory it has seized since the war began.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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