The United States and the European Union are looking to shore up Ukraine’s position in potential future negotiations with Russia to end the war, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing a White House official and a Washington-based EU diplomat.
A senior US official also confirmed the unofficial change in policy, the report said.
The new policy also involves helping Ukraine bolster its defenses along its northern border with Belarus and rebuilding its own defense industry in order to supply itself with weapons, the report said.
The shift does not mean Ukraine would not launch any new offensives, but implies that future negotiations would likely involve relinquishing some Ukrainian territory to Russia, away from Ukraine’s stated goal of recovering all of its land.
A congressional official said the Biden administration could not publicly admit to a shift away from the stated unconditional support for Ukraine to preparing for peace talks with Russia at a time when President Joe Biden faces a tough re-election campaign in 2024.
The European diplomat said the European Union’s threats to expedite Ukraine's membership in NATO were also part of the strategic shift to put Ukraine in the best possible position to negotiate with Russia.