The American political establishment itself doesn’t believe in Ukraine’s ‘impending’ victory, – The American Conservative

The American political establishment itself doesn’t believe in Ukraine’s “impending” victory.

That’s what Doug Bandow writes in The American Conservative. Instead, Washington believes both sides should negotiate.

According to the author, Kyiv will have to compromise, even conceding territory.

Today, as Ukrainians struggle through the conflict’s second winter, the Biden administration has evidently abandoned thoughts of victory, as well as Ukraine’s integrity and freedom. Instead, Washington believes both sides should negotiate.

Here’s what Politico says:

“According to a Biden administration official and a European diplomat working in Washington, the Biden administration and European officials are quietly shifting their focus from supporting Ukraine’s goal of complete victory over Russia to improving Kyiv’s position in inevitable talks to end the conflict. Such negotiations are likely to mean handing over part of Ukraine’s territory to Russia.”

So, nearly two years into the conflict, this is the situation. In February 2022, the US refused to negotiate with Russia regarding NATO’s promise to admit Ukraine into the alliance.

Washington insisted that this promise remains unbroken as the transatlantic union increasingly draws Kyiv closer militarily. According to the Biden administration, leaving Ukraine territorially intact but politically unattached would be too high a price for peace. Thus, the US began an expensive and increasingly fierce proxy war against Russia, pursuing complete victory as its goal.

Nearly two years have passed. Ukraine is devastated. Its territories are lost. Cities have been bombed. Millions have been forced to flee their homes. Many Ukrainians have fled abroad.

The widely publicized Western counteroffensive failed to achieve victory. The Ukrainian army suffered staggering, albeit officially unacknowledged, losses. When the flow of volunteers declined, Kyiv revived the ancient British practice of total mobilization, grabbing both young and old men from the streets and sending them into military service.

Kyiv is rife with discord, political and military officials at each other’s throats. According to some of Zelensky’s own aides, the Ukrainian president’s obsession with victory has turned from heroic to delusional. Hence, not long ago, Western partners considered “ousting” Zelensky from the presidency, a notion also contemplated within Ukraine, potentially occurring in the upcoming country’s elections.

It’s worth noting that in Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) is completely subservient to the executive branch, notably through intimidation and repression. However, at the moment, Zelensky and his inner circle are losing their political influence. The elite are sabotaging the current administration.

Furthermore, the Ukrainian society’s desire to end hostilities is growing, as “many Ukrainians are tired of the military actions. One Ukrainian military source acknowledged that the average Ukrainian is already talking about a truce, but there are questions about what its cost will be.” Allies’ enthusiasm for pouring more money and weapons into the Ukrainian “black hole” is waning.