President Joe Biden has long said he will support Ukraine in its goal of expelling Russia from its territory for “as long as it takes.” But a Politico report indicates that the Biden administration is quietly shifting away from backing Ukraine’s bid for total victory. Instead, the White House is now thinking about how to best position Ukraine for negotiations that are likely to lead to territorial concessions. The news underscores the failure of Ukraine’s widely watched counteroffensive and reflects concern about dwindling resources of both Ukraine and its allies to oust a heavily dug-in Russia.
It appears that the war could be entering a new phase.
Citing Biden administration officials and a European diplomat, Politico reports that the U.S. and Europe are discussing “the redeployment of Kyiv’s forces away from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s mostly failed counteroffensive into a stronger defensive position against Russian forces in the east.” That includes helping Ukraine fortify certain borders and positions, and helping strengthen the country’s defense industry. “The only way this war ends ultimately is through negotiation,” a White House spokesperson said, and the U.S. wants “Ukraine to have the strongest hand possible when that comes.” The spokesperson told Politico that talks haven’t been planned yet, and publicly the Biden administration insists that its support for Ukraine’s goal — the total expulsion of Russia — remains unchanged. But Biden hinted at cooling support in December, when he said the U.S. will support Ukraine “as long as we can” instead of the typical “as long as it takes.” It appears that the war could be entering a new phase, and we’re most likely in the early stages of a hugely consequential pivot by the Biden administration.
After Ukraine kicked off its widely anticipated counteroffensive over the summer, there were high hopes that its forces would be able to regain large swaths of…
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