The USA and European countries are pushing Kyiv to develop a new strategy for the next year of war. According to The Wall Street Journal, the US and its European allies continue to support Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi's long-term goal of expelling Russia from all of Ukraine. However, given declining public support among Ukraine's key partners and Russia's slow progress on the front, some European diplomats say Ukraine should reconsider its goals and be more realistic.
An important stage of this process will be the visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and British Foreign Minister David Lammy to Kyiv. They will meet with Ukrainian officials to discuss possible changes in strategy and help Ukraine will need to achieve its goals. This visit also involves discussing 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 the support of the West to achieve complete victory may be financially unaffordable. High-ranking officials of European countries point to the need to reconcile the realistic goals of the war with the possibilities of international support.
Secretary of State Blinken noted that his visit is aimed at understanding Ukraine's current needs and determining how the United States and its allies can better support those needs. However, officials warn that the final decision on the provision of long-range missiles to Ukraine has not yet been made.
At the same time, President Zelensky plans to submit a new peace proposal during his visit to the United States, in particular to the UN General Assembly. He hopes to meet with key US presidential candidates to enlist their support for Ukraine. However, it is not known whether these meetings will take place.
Western diplomats continue to emphasize the importance of the US presidential election in determining future aid to Ukraine. Kyiv is now considering talks with Russia to limit attacks on critical infrastructure, but officials point to the difficulty of making 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 the majority of the population still insists on the return of all occupied territories before any talks begin. Political analysts warn that recognizing the possibility of a compromise could become a serious political risk for Zelenskyi.
Western officials and analysts note 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 of Ukrainian troops showed Kyiv's ability to take active action, but there are questions about the sustainability and effectiveness of such operations in the long term.
