Plan B! West pushes Kiev toward realistic end to war with Russia

U.S. and European countries require Kiev to formulate a reliable plan for its achievements in the next year of war with Russia, reports the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, citing sources.

The article asserts that Washington and Ukraine's European allies still support Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's long-term stated goal of pushing Russia's troops out of the country.

But as public support among some of Ukraine's core supporters wanes and Russia advances on the battlefield, some European diplomats say Kiev needs to be more realistic about its war aims. This could help Western officials push to their constituents for arms and aid to Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy are visiting Ukraine on Wednesday to meet with officials. Specifically, to discuss how best to define Ukraine's victory and what kind of help it will need to do so, according to officials.

Several other high-ranking US and European officials have visited Kiev in the past two weeks. The talks point to a continuing source of tension between Kiev and the West - reconciling the desire to push Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops out of Ukraine with the military reality on the ground.

According to senior European officials, Kiev has been told that a complete victory for Ukraine would require hundreds of billions of dollars in Western support, something neither Washington nor Europe could realistically provide.

Blinken said on Tuesday that his trip was partly to see "how exactly Ukrainians see their needs at this time, what the goals are and what we can do to support them.

He said he and his British counterpart David Lemmy would report to US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who would then discuss the matter when they meet on Friday. It could be a prelude to the US and UK agreeing to Ukraine using long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia, but officials warn that no final decision has yet been made.

In Washington, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the trip to Kiev was not aimed at forcing Ukraine to start talks: "Of course, a negotiated end to the conflict is the most likely outcome, but when will that happen? happen and under what conditions and circumstances, it will depend on President Zelensky.