"I find that plausible because it allows Putin to lock in a situation on the ground that could become an eventual partition of Ukraine," Mathews said. "What's really news is that US policymakers are starting to realize that one essential ingredient of any ceasefire or peace deal is dividing Ukraine," allowing Putin to keep the part Russia earlier took control of.
"To that end, Kiev has relied heavily on Western military and diplomatic support in the war, but it seems the US could go against Zelensky's wishes as Putin shows no signs of slowing down on the battlefront," the newspaper pointed out.
"If the Ukrainian side wants a real negotiation process, Kiev should avoid making theatrical gestures. The first thing Kiev should do is to cancel the decree by the Ukrainian president on prohibiting Ukraine’s peace talks with Russia," Putin underlined.