U.S. privately asks Ukraine to show Russia it’s open to talks -Washington Post

WASHINGTON, Nov 5 (Reuters) – The Biden administration is privately encouraging Ukraine’s leaders to signal their openness to negotiating with Russia and drop their public refusal to engage in peace talks unless President Vladimir Putin be removed from office, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.

The newspaper quotes unnamed people familiar with the talks who said the US officials’ request was not intended to push Ukraine to the negotiating table, but a calculated attempt to ensure Kyiv retains the support of other nations. facing constituencies fearful of fueling a war for many. coming years.

He said the talks illustrated the complexity of the Biden administration’s position on Ukraine, as US officials publicly pledged to support Kyiv with massive amounts of aid “for as long as it takes” while hoping for a resolution to the eight-month conflict that has taken a heavy toll on the global economy and raised fears of nuclear war.

According to the newspaper, US officials shared their Ukrainian counterparts’ assessment that Putin is not yet serious about negotiations, but acknowledged that the ban on talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had sparked concerns in parts of Europe, Africa, and Latin America, where the war is having the greatest impact on food and fuel costs.

“Ukraine fatigue is a reality for some of our partners,” the Post quoted an unnamed US official as saying.

The White House National Security Council and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said during a visit to Kyiv on Friday that Washington’s support for Ukraine would remain “unwavering and unwavering” after next Tuesday’s midterm parliamentary elections. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Daniel Wallis)