Kyiv is rethinking its war strategy, shifting from attack to defense and preparing for ceasefire negotiations if it needs to retain Western support, analysts say.
In an article published in Foreign Affairs, Council on Foreign Relations Chairman Emeritus Richard Haass and former National Security Council official Charles Kupchan say that the political will for war “has begun to erode” in the United States. and Europe.
At the same time, they claim that the Ukrainian counteroffensive appears to be stalled, meaning that Kyiv wants to reconsider its strategy.
This shows an “inconvenient truth,” they say, “that Ukraine and the West are on an unsustainable trajectory, characterized by a glaring mismatch between ends and what is available. “
Analysts say the United States is now leading efforts to forge a new policy with “achievable goals”; for example, one focused on negotiating a ceasefire with Russia and shifting the army’s concentration from offense to defense.
“Short-term priorities will have to change”
“Kyiv will not give up on restoring territorial integrity or holding Russia economically and legally responsible for its aggression, but it will recognize that its short-term priorities will have to shift from seeking to liberate more territory to protecting and repairing more than 80%. of the territory of the country that is still under their control,” say the authors.
They say the upgrade would limit the loss of Ukrainian soldiers, allow it to devote more resources to long-term defense and reconstruction, and also increase Western support.
It would also prevent Russia from believing it can ignore the West’s willingness to help Ukraine, they say.
“This understanding may convince Moscow to move from the battlefield to the negotiating table – a move that would ultimately be advantageous for Ukraine, as international relations offer the most realistic path to ending not only the war but also, in the long term, the Russian profession on Ukrainian territory,” Claim.
This suggestion is awkward and controversial, and Ukrainian officials have rejected the methods.
But analysts add: “The West is not pressuring Ukraine to give up restoring its 1991 borders or holding Russia responsible for the death and destruction caused by its invasion.
“However, he will have to try to convince the Ukrainians that they want to adopt a new strategy to achieve those goals. “
As we previously reported (see publication of 06/13), the new Slovak government prevents the sending of military aid to Ukraine.
Since the Russian invasion, there have been tensions in the country related to the war effort.
Polish and Slovak drivers say this hurts their business.
The president of Moldova, which needs to join the EU along with its Ukrainian neighbour, believes that its eventual accession is a matter of “survival” and “European stability”.
Maia Sandu visited kyiv on Tuesday, which Volodymyr Zelenskyy called “symbolic. “
He explained that this happened ten years after the Ukrainians “finally had their future. “
The Ukrainian president referring to the Maidan protests (see post 09:40).
Earlier (14:50) we reported that Ukraine is in the process of implementing the seven recommendations made through the EU to start full accession negotiations.
No resolution has been taken on whether two of Kyiv’s most sensible army commanders should be dismissed, Ukraine’s Defense Minister said.
Such a move, he added, could simply be related to issues raised before he replaced Oleksii Reznikov in September.
He also said his country could fight NATO for as long as it takes.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is in the process of implementing the seven recommendations made through the EU to start full accession negotiations.
The Ukrainian president also said Kyiv would take the post.
He added, however, that the resolution to start accession negotiations, scheduled for next month, is a “challenge to the unity of the EU”.
Charles Michel, president of the European Council, who is in Kiev today, expected the assembly to be “difficult”.
However, he said the situation in Ukraine had been “remarkable”.
The number of civilians killed in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion has surpassed 10,000, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said.
The vast majority of deaths were caused by explosive weapons that hit a wide area, such as projectiles, missiles and cluster munitions, the UN said.
The abandoned artillery exploded.
Corroboration paintings are ongoing.
Danielle Bell, who is leading the follow-up mission, said: “Ten thousand civilian deaths are a grim milestone for Ukraine.
Moscow intentionally denies civilians.
It has been reported that Russians dining at a café in occupied Ukraine died from poisoned food.
Ivan Fedorov, mayor of the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol, spoke about the incident on national television, the Ukrinform newspaper reported.
Fedorov said that Russian troops die every day in Ukraine’s occupied spaces, not only through explosions, but also through resistance forces.
He claimed that the Russians ordered food at a local café and, after eating it, were poisoned and some of them died.
The Russian government tried to locate the courier who delivered the food, but was unable to do so, he said.
Germany will provide Ukraine with a new military aid package worth £1. 1 billion.
The IRIS-T is a medium-range infrared air-to-air missile system.
So far, Berlin has pledged to supply Kyiv with eight such systems, of which three have already been delivered, to protect itself from Russian missile attacks.