US wants Ukraine to signal openness to dialogue with Russia

The Biden administration is "privately" encouraging Kyiv to demonstrate a readiness to negotiate with Russia, The Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.

Mediation began at the end of February this year after the start of the war in Ukraine. The last round of the negotiations concluded in Istanbul on March 29. The talks have since stalled despite efforts by the United Nations.

According to the newspaper, the United States does not want Ukraine to start negotiations with Russia, but, instead, aims to ensure that Kyiv has the support of other countries.

"Ukraine fatigue is a real thing for some of our partners," one US official told The Washington Post.

According to the newspaper, concerns are mounting in parts of Europe, Africa, and Latin America, as food and fuel prices are rising amid Russia's ongoing special operation in Ukraine.

Earlier in September, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow was still open to talks with Kyiv and called on Ukraine to stop the hostilities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in turn, said that Kyiv was ready for dialogue with Moscow, but only if another president came to power in Russia.

The Kremlin responded that Moscow would wait for a change in the stance of Ukraine's current president or his successor.

This WAPO report comes after US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Friday to 'underscore' Washington's support amid the escalation of the war in Ukraine.

Sullivan affirmed that the United States will continue economic and humanitarian assistance and ongoing efforts with partners to hold Russia accountable for its aggression.

The recent surge in Russian attacks has resulted in massive blackouts. Besides this, Kyiv residents are under severe water shortages as one of the strikes hit an energy facility that powered 350,000 apartments in the capital, CNN reported.

In total, the United States has now committed more than USD 18.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration.

Since 2014, the United States has committed more than USD 21 billion in security assistance to Ukraine and more than USD 18.2 billion since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on February 24.