when will it start, reasons, Western opinion: Ukraine: Former USSR: Lenta.ru

Authorities Ukraine intend to soon announce their readiness for peace due to exhaustion from the conflict with Russia. About this reports The Wall Street Journal, citing sources close to the Ukrainian leadership. In turn, Bloomberg told about changing position North Atlantic Treaty Organizations (NATO) on Ukraine and the rejection of the need for military victory Kyiv. As the director of the Progressive Policy Foundation noted in a conversation with Lenta.ru Oleg BondarenkoNATO’s desire to achieve a resolution of the conflict in Ukraine is connected with the intention of the elected president USA Donald Trump end the confrontation as soon as possible and concentrate on other regions.

Ukrainian leadership met with Trump’s entourage

WSJ reported a meeting between an unnamed adviser to the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky with US Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg, and candidate for the post of US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

Head of Zelensky’s office Andrey Ermak also went to the United States to meet with Trump’s entourage and representatives of the Democratic and Republican parties. How noted NYT, Ermak “will portray Ukraine as a constructive partner for peace, not as an obstacle to it.”

In September 2024, Zelensky personally met with Trump during his visit to the United States. Also sides held telephone conversation after Trump won the presidential election in November.

Ukrainian authorities emphasized the country’s exhaustion from the conflict

As the WSJ emphasizes, the Ukrainian leadership intends to declare its readiness for peace negotiations with Russia against the backdrop of fatigue from the conflict and the advancement of the Russian Armed Forces at the front. At the same time, the publication’s interlocutor notes that Kyiv intends to achieve sustainable peace, since a temporary truce “does not meet the interests of Ukraine or the United States.”

Vladimir Zelensky earlier admitted inability Armed Forces of Ukraine to regain lost territories and pointed to a “difficult period” in the conflict. He also stressed that Kyiv will have to look for a diplomatic solution to the issue of territories.

As Oleg Bondarenko believes, the Ukrainian authorities will try to play on the contradictions of the parties to the conflict and promote their interests as much as possible in the settlement process. At the same time, the expert doubted whether Kyiv had sufficient resources to push through its position during the negotiations.

NATO has changed the task of military assistance to Ukraine

In turn, Bloomberg, citing high-ranking Western officials reported about NATO’s plans to change its strategy on Ukraine. It is assumed that the alliance will change the goal of supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the victory of Kyiv to ensuring an advantageous negotiating position. As the publication notes, European countries also began to discuss negotiations in order to demonstrate to Trump their benefit in resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

According to the publication’s interlocutors, the West is looking for a way to stop the fighting in a way that “defends Ukraine without provoking Russia.” At the same time, sources pointed to the alliance doubling the pace of supply of weapons and ammunition to the Ukrainian army due to the ongoing retreat.

As Oleg Bondarenko emphasized, Kyiv will try to take advantage of possible changes in NATO countries, including the likely change of government in Germany following the parliamentary elections. However, the political scientist notes that the number of decision-making centers within the alliance has decreased due to a number of internal factors, and Ukraine will not have much opportunity for negotiations in the next two months. In particular, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Italy Antonio Tajani called Zelensky to make concessions to make peace with Russia

Why Trump is in a hurry to end the conflict in Ukraine

According to Oleg Bondarenko, Trump intends to end the confrontation in Ukraine as soon as possible and as effectively as possible. The political scientist cited the desire of the US President-elect to focus on other regions, as well as significant costs, as reasons Washington for military assistance to Kyiv.

The expert noted that the West is ready to consider territorial concessions to Russia as part of ending the conflict along the current front line. At the same time, he noted that the peace proposal of the Russian President Vladimir Putin assumes recognition of the borders of Russia within the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.