Some of Ukraine's allies are beginning to talk about how the battle against the Russian invasion could end, raising fears in Western capitals that the effort could lead to Kiev being forced into a premature ceasefire, writes the Bloomberg agency, quoted by UNIAN.
According to the publication's sources, as part of discussions about next year's strategy, officials are increasingly considering the possibility of a negotiated end to the war. The interlocutors confirmed that the decision on the negotiations will be made by Kiev and that no one is putting pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky. No mention of which countries are involved.
But as the war enters another winter, there is no sign of a breakthrough on the battlefield, prompting some Allied officials to begin exploring the possibility of breaking the stalemate through diplomacy.
Moscow is said to be struggling to move forward, but its missiles have destroyed a significant portion of Ukraine's energy infrastructure. This raises concerns about how the country will survive this winter.
Negotiations to end the fighting will have to resolve a key issue: how to ensure that Ukraine does not become vulnerable to a future Russian attack while reassuring its allies that they will not be drawn into direct conflict with the Kremlin.
For the West, they believe that Vladimir Putin will take advantage of the uncertainty of the West after the deal is concluded.
Some allies believe the time between November's US election and the president's inauguration next January could provide a window of opportunity. The outgoing Biden administration may have more political leeway to negotiate a deal.
The probability of “alternative scenarios“ in the coming months is high, the Bloomberg source added.