The Biden administration and European officials have reportedly begun to shift their Ukraine strategy away from achieving total victory over Vladimir Putin’s invading forces — instead strengthening Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table.
Following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s stalled counterattack — and increasingly difficult proposals to secure more aid from the United States and Europe — officials are shifting their focus to strengthening Ukraine’s strongholds in the east, a Biden administration official and a European diplomat told Politico.
The move – which will strengthen air defense systems and build new works along the country’s eastern and northern border with Belarus – is intended to help Ukraine if and when they enter negotiations to end the nearly two-year war.
“That’s been the theory of our case all along: The only way this war ends is through negotiations,” the official, a White House spokesman who spoke on condition of anonymity to Politico, told the newspaper. “We want Ukraine to have the strongest hand when that happens.”
President Biden’s administration has reportedly begun to move away from claiming total victory over Russia – and instead insisting that Ukraine adopt a more defensive posture. AFP via Getty Images The war is almost two years old, and has reached a stalemate between the Russian aggressors and Ukrainian defenders. Global Image of Ukraine via Getty Images
“We want them to be in a stronger position to hold their territory,” the spokesman continued, adding that no peace talks had yet begun.
“It’s not like we’re stopping them from launching any new attacks.”
However, publicly, the White House and the Pentagon have denied the policy change and said they still support Ukraine’s main goal of pushing Russian troops out of the country entirely, Politico reported.
Ukrainian civilians have been injured, killed and kidnapped by Russian invaders. AP
The National Security Council warned that the United States is “nearing the end of our ability” to provide more military aid to Ukraine – but insisted the Biden administration remains “very focused on helping.” [Ukraine] on attack and defense.”
“We have literally daily conversations with Ukrainians about the battlefield, about their needs and their intentions,” John Kirby, head of strategic communications at the National Security Council, told Politico in an earlier interview.
The administration cannot publicly back down because it has said since the beginning of the war that it fully supports Ukraine’s efforts to remove Russian forces.
But President Biden has distanced himself from promising that the US will support Ukraine for “as long as it takes,” instead saying that the US will support the country “as long as we can.”
Strengthening Ukraine’s defenses may help the country if and when peace talks begin, officials told Politico. Reuters
He also said Ukraine had already won a “big victory” that blocked Putin’s plan.
Experts believe this means Ukraine may have to agree to a truce with Moscow – which could cause Ukraine to split, according to Politico.
“Time has been a real weakness when it comes to Ukraine’s manpower and industrial capacity, and that’s true despite the West continuing its support,” George Beebe, former head of Russia analysis for the CIA who is now chief strategist for the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, told the outlet. .
“The longer this goes on, the more we will have to give up just to bring Russia to the negotiating table.”
Others argue that taking a defensive strategy will help Ukraine in the long run.
“The likelihood that taking a defensive posture would allow Ukraine to conserve resources while making future Russian advances seems unlikely,” said Anthony Pfaff, an intelligence expert at the US Army War College who co-authored a study predicting Putin’s invasion of Ukraine for years. ago, told Politico.
Russia attacked in February 2022. The war has been going on ever since. Getty Images
The European Union may also look to move faster on Ukraine’s membership in NATO, which could put Ukraine in a better negotiating position despite the military standoff.
But it is also likely to anger Putin, who claims Ukraine’s desire to join the alliance was one of the reasons he invaded in the first place.
Biden still supports Ukraine’s entry into the treaty organization, Kirby said.
“President Biden is very clear that NATO will be in Ukraine’s future,” he stressed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may be forced to compromise and hand over a fifth country seized by Russia. AP
Putin may also be willing to compromise, Politico said, especially if he is allowed to keep the fifth part of Ukraine that his military has seized.
But the news — first reported last week by the New York Times — appears to have been met with skepticism by the Biden administration.
“I am not aware of any serious discussions at this point,” the spokesman said.
Kirby said Putin must make the first move – and he has yet to do so.
“While we would all like to see this war end immediately,” Kirby said, Putin “has shown no signs of entering into negotiations in good faith.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
