West wants Ukraine to set realistic war goals for next year, WSJ reports

While publicly backing Kyiv’s plan to retake all of its territories, Western officials also want Ukraine to set more realistic goals for the next year, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Sept. 11.
Citing undisclosed official sources, the outlet wrote that the Western countries call for a pragmatic strategy that could be more easily sold to voters at home amid signs of growing fatigue.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy are visiting Kyiv on Sept. 11 to discuss continued support for Kyiv and “how to ensure Ukraine can thrive militarily, economically, and democratically in the long term.”
The stability of the long-term support from the U.S., Ukraine’s key military backer, is in doubt as the presidential election draws near. Some fear that if he wins the race, Republican candidate Donald Trump might press Ukraine to cede territory to achieve a quicker resolution to the war.
Discussions about a negotiated settlement have become more common in recent months as Russia grinds on in Donbas, with little sign of Kyiv being able to retake the lost territory soon.
Senior European officials told the WSJ that a full Ukraine victory would require the West to commit hundreds of billions of dollars worth of aid, which the partners are not ready to do.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is visiting the U.S. later this month to present President Joe Biden with a victory plan. Ukraine’s head of state also aims to discuss it with the two presidential candidates, Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
While the details of the plan were not divulged, Zelensky said that one of the key points was Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Oblast as a form of pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The cross-border offensive surprised Western partners and achieved tactical success, allegedly seizing some 1,300 square kilometers of territory. Despite the operation, Russia maintains its pressure in Ukraine’s east, and recent reports suggest that Moscow launched a new counterattack in Kursk Oblast.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose country is the leading European donor to Ukraine, recently called for a speedier resolution to the war. The chancellor also said that both he and Zelensky agree on the need to include Russia in future peace negotiations.
Kyiv has said it aims to invite Russia for an upcoming second peace summit, though Moscow has shown no interest in accepting the invitation. Western officials told the WSJ that despite Putin claiming openness to peace talks, he is not acting in good faith and continues to believe in military victory in Ukraine.
Moscow named Ukraine giving up on occupied territory and ceding additional ground as conditions for talks. In turn, Kyiv’s 10-point peace formula includes a complete Russian withdrawal from the country.