Officials from the United States and Europe have initiated discussions with the Ukrainian government regarding the scope for peace talks with Russia, NBC News reports citing informed sources among current and former US officials.
"The conversations have included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up reaching a deal, the officials said," the publication reads.
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Some of these discussions, described as sensitive by NBC News sources, took place during a meeting of the Ramstein format defense contact group in October.
They were initiated in response to growing concerns among US and European officials about the war reaching a stalemate, raising doubts if it is worth continuing to provide assistance to Ukraine.
Biden administration officials were also concerned about the depletion of Ukraine's military resources, especially when contrasted with what seems like an endless stream of Russian forces.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been garnered less public attention compared to the conflicts in the Middle East, which could affect the allocation of additional aid to Ukraine, as per the officials' assessments.
At the same time, the Biden administration believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not currently inclined toward negotiations with Ukraine and is still poised to continue the war, particularly if Kyiv's allies become less capable of providing support.
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NBC News sources anticipate that more proactive discussions between Western officials and Kyiv regarding peace talks will gain momentum by the end of the year or in early 2024. To encourage Zelensky to engage in negotiations, NATO may extend security guarantees to Ukraine, even without the country's formal entry into the alliance.
The Ukrainian side has consistently asserted that the war with Russia can only be concluded after the withdrawal of Russian troops from all occupied territories and the restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty within the internationally recognized borders of 1991, including Crimea.
Meanwhile, according to the latest survey conducted in Russia, 70% of Russians would support their president if he decided to end the war against Ukraine this week.
However, only one in three would support such a move if an end to the war meant returning all occupied Ukrainian territories.
The survey also found that, if they could go back in time and cancel Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, only 41 percent of respondents would not have started the war.
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