The United States and European countries are pushing Kyiv to develop a new strategy for the next year of war. The Wall Street Journal reports that the United States and its European allies continue to support Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s long-term goal of driving Russia out of all of Ukraine. However, given declining public support among Ukraine’s key partners and Russia’s slow progress on the front, some European diplomats argue that Ukraine should reconsider its goals and be more realistic.
A key step in this process will be a visit to Kyiv by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary David Lemmy. They will meet with Ukrainian officials to discuss possible changes in strategy and the assistance Ukraine will need to achieve its goals. The visit will also include discussions on the possibility of expanding the use of Western weapons, including long-range missiles, to strike Russian targets.
The reality of the war requires a review of Ukraine's strategic goals, as Western support for achieving a complete victory may be financially unaffordable. Senior European officials point to the need to reconcile realistic war goals with the possibilities of international support.
Secretary Blinken said his visit is aimed at understanding Ukraine’s current needs and determining how the United States and its allies can best support those needs. However, officials caution that a final decision on providing long-range missiles to Ukraine has not yet been made.
Meanwhile, President Zelensky plans to present a new peace proposal during his visit to the United States, including to the UN General Assembly. He hopes to meet with key US presidential candidates to garner their support for Ukraine. However, it is unclear whether these meetings will take place.
Western diplomats continue to stress the importance of the U.S. presidential election in determining future aid to Ukraine. Kyiv is now considering talks with Russia to limit attacks on critical infrastructure, but officials say it will be difficult to make any significant progress in peace talks due to the intransigent positions of both sides.
Recent polls in Ukraine show growing support for peace talks, but a majority of the population still insists on the return of all occupied territories before any negotiations can begin. Political analysts warn that acknowledging the possibility of compromise could pose a serious political risk for Zelensky.
Western officials and analysts say that despite Ukraine's heroic efforts, there are serious concerns about the duration of Western support and Ukraine's ability to withstand long-term military pressure. The offensive by Ukrainian troops has demonstrated Kyiv's ability to take active action, but there are questions about the sustainability and effectiveness of such operations in the long term.
