Under the headline, “Ukraine war: US considers negotiations - and worries about EU,” the German senior blog lostineurope on November 11, takes up the remarks made Nov. 9 by US Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, writing, “Something new in the West: according to a report in the New York Times, the USA is preparing for negotiations for a solution to the Ukraine conflict. Washington is worried about the EU.”
The blog writes, “When it comes to war, military leaders are often more realistic than politicians. This is evident again now in the Ukraine conflict. Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, assumes that Ukraine has achieved all that was achievable militarily - and therefore calls on the U.S. to negotiate. “We’ve seen the Ukrainian military fight the Russian military to a standstill,” he said. “Now, what the future holds is not known with any degree of certainty, but we think there are some possibilities here for some diplomatic solutions.” In the view of the U.S. general, the Ukrainian success in Kherson marks a turning point that can be used for diplomatic solutions. For what comes next, he said, is uncertain in view of the approaching winter.”
“The White House is apparently not enthusiastic about this pragmatic, military-based approach. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who was recently in Kiev, is putting on the brakes, according to the New York Times. One possible explanation is that Kiev is refusing to accept any negotiated solution - and there is growing concern in Washington about the attitude of the EUropeans. At least, this is what the U.S. edition of Politico reports.
” American officials based in Europe are issuing internal warnings to Washington colleagues that some countries with populations that support Russia are growing angry over sanctions and blaming the U.S. for rising costs. That sentiment could put pressure on European leaders to pull back support for the sanctions, officials said in internal reports circulated throughout the administration in recent days.”
Indeed, there is growing resentment in the EU over the sanctions, which are backfiring on Europe. Just recently, the EU Commission had to concede that a winter recession was looming. In the Czech Republic, which currently holds the EU presidency, there have already been several large demonstrations against the sanctions policy. Hungary has announced that it will not support any further punitive measures.
So far, however, the displeasure has been directed less at the U.S. or Ukraine than at Brussels. In the EU capital, the economic war against Russia is being pursued unwaveringly.
At the same time, the EU lacks any appetite for a diplomatic solution. At the next meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, the topic of negotiations is not even on the agenda.
Perhaps General Milley should travel to Brussels to “brief” EU politicians on the military situation. After all, they have no idea about that; mostly they rely on chronically unreliable British intelligence reports…”
