US Mission To NATO Signals Zelensky Must Sit At “Negotiating Table”

In yet another major indicator and sign that Washington policy has drastically change, after it’s become clear that Ukraine’s forces won’t be able to push back Russia from the frontlines and with most of the Donbas firmly under Russian control, the US Mission to NATO has published the following message…

The West is now telling Zelensky, more or less explicitly and right out in the open: time to wrap this up. https://t.co/BnjnaejN7e

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 20, 2023

The official X account of the US Mission to NATO wrote Monday, “In this tough and dynamic battle, Ukraine’s soldiers are fighting bravely every single day, and they continue to inspire the world with their bravery and courage.”

“We will continue to support them to be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table when the time comes,” the statement said.

This marks a drastic shift in public messaging. Up to a short while ago, the Biden administration had essentially banished the words “negotiating table” from its public discourse. 

Journalist Glenn Greenwald has commented of this narrative shift: “The West is now telling Zelensky, more or less explicitly and right out in the open: time to wrap this up.”

This significant difference in public rhetoric has also begun to appear more and more in mainstream media, which has also very belatedly reflected the American public’s ‘war fatigue’ – which was already setting in even before Ukraine’s much-vaunted early summer attempt at a counteroffensive…

Morning Joe admits Ukraine has lost the war against Russia.

Public humiliation is here now.

Public surrender is getting close. pic.twitter.com/HvEnPhUsjl

— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) November 20, 2023

It’s widely believed that talks could already quietly be happening, and that Washington is finally pressuring the Zelensky government to find compromise. 

“U.S. and European officials have begun quietly talking to the Ukrainian government about what possible peace negotiations with Russia might entail to end the war, according to one current senior U.S. official and one former senior U.S. official familiar with the discussions,” an early November report in NBC said. “The conversations have included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a deal, the officials said.” 

Certainly, at the very least this will include Kiev permanently giving up any future claims on Crimea. But the question of the four annexed territories is what will determine whether a peace deal is reached or not.