US Reportedly Prodded Ukraine’s Zelensky to Ditch Putin-Out-of-Power Condition For Russia Talks
The White House is seen at dusk in Washington, DC, on November 8, 2022.
Previously, US newspaper reports cited “Ukraine fatigue” increasingly becoming manifest in some countries, as they suggested that the administration of US President Joe Biden was privately encouraging Kiev to demonstrate readiness to negotiate with Moscow.The Joe Biden administration prodded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to rethink his stance on talks with Russia, US media reported, citing White House insiders. Furthermore, the “nudging” was ostensibly done to appease both Democrats and Republicans, who have argued the need for a more “diplomatic” stance regarding the conflagration in Ukraine, particularly ahead of the November 8 midterm elections.As Zelensky outlined five conditions for negotiations with Moscow on resolving the Ukraine conflict during a nightly televised address posted on YouTube on November 7, such as “restoring territorial integrity,” “respecting UN Statute,” “paying off all damages caused by war,” “punishing each war criminal,” and “guarantees this won’t happen again,” the president of Ukraine conspicuously omitted any reference to Vladimir Putin. Previously, the Kiev regime rejected any negotiations specifically with Russia’s president, the American media outlet underscored.However, days of talks between Kiev and Washington that included an in-person visit to the Ukrainian capital by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan ostensibly brought a change.The report rushes to rule out any speculation that US officials directly instructed Zelensky and his aides to alter their position. However, it does hint that Kiev was told to display readiness for talks in order to be seen as embracing the “moral high ground” in the eyes of the coalition of Western countries that have poured money and weapons into propping up the Ukraine regime.“That doesn’t mean they need to go to the negotiating table right now. We don’t even think right now is the right time based on what Russia is doing. But they must show a willingness to resolve the conflict because no one wants this conflict to end more than Ukraine,” a WH official was cited as saying.This comes as an earlier US report suggested that concerns were mounting in parts of Europe, Africa, and Latin America over the soaring food and fuel prices being driven, in part, by sanctions on Russia over its ongoing special operation in Ukraine. Accordingly, the disruptive effect the conflict and the so-called collective West’s reaction to it has been wreaking has prompted increasing “Ukraine fatigue” among some US partners. Volodymyr Zelensky’s refusal to negotiate with Vladimir Putin was also said to be generating concern in parts of Europe. As polls ahead of the November 8 midterms revealed eroding support among Republicans for continued assistance to Kiev’s military, Democrats and Republicans have ostensibly been pressuring the Joe Biden administration to push for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
WorldWashington Wants Kiev to Signal Openness to Dialogue With Russia, Report Suggests6 November, 04:02 GMTIn a U-turn that reflected growing concerns over the fallout from the Ukraine crisis, a group of 30 Democratic lawmakers from the US House of Representatives sent a letter to President Joe Biden in late October, urging him to fundamentally change the administration’s strategy with respect to Kiev.”We urge you to pair the military and economic support the United States has provided Ukraine with a proactive diplomatic push, redoubling efforts to seek a realistic framework for a ceasefire,” the 30 Democrats, led by Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said in the letter.The authors of the letter warned that “the alternative to diplomacy is a protracted war, with both its attendant certainties and catastrophic and unknowable risks.”Furthermore, there have been growing divisions among congressional Republicans on whether to proceed with military assistance to Ukraine, with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy saying in October that a GOP-controlled House wouldn’t write a “blank check” to Kiev.
Hints From ‘Big Brother’
Some US allies in Europe are becoming increasingly concerned that a protracted conflict in Ukraine may entail a rising burden for some of them, Joseph Camilleri, emeritus professor at La Trobe University in Melbourne, told Sputnik.Three aspects are worth noting, the professor underscored: the cost of providing economic and military aid to Ukraine; the eventual cost of reconstruction, which Europe may likely have to shoulder in part; and skyrocketing prices on energy and foodstuffs.Bearing in mind that the Biden administration has been strongly committed to repairing the fractured US alliance system, a dragged-out conflict in Ukraine was fraught with more fissures, one of Australia’s leading international relations scholars underscored.Even if reports of the Biden team urging Kiev to reassess its stance on talks with Russia are true, the Ukrainian authorities are unlikely to actually take the hint and restart negotiations in the immediate future, Joseph Camilleri said. “However, in due course, Ukraine will have no option but to pay close attention to US advice,” he added.Speculating on whether the fact that Ukraine does not appear to be able to move towards resuming negotiations without hints from its “big brother” in Washington, Joseph Camilleri conceded that the US is obviously extremely influential in how Kiev handles the conflict.However, he added that there are powerful political currents within Ukraine itself that Zelensky has to consider carefully before changing his current stance on Russia negotiations.
AmericasUkraine Peace Talks: Pathetic U-Turn by 30 Dems & Curious Case of Jeffrey Sachs26 October, 13:24 GMTAfter the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, a spate of talks was conducted between Moscow and Kiev. After the last round of the negotiations concluded in Istanbul on March 29, the talks have since stalled. In late September, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow was still open to talks with Kiev and called on Ukraine to put an end to hostilities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in turn, stated that Kiev was ready for dialogue with Moscow, but only if another president came to power in Russia. In response, the Kremlin said that Moscow would wait for a change in the stance of Ukraine’s current president or his successor.
