Ukraine peace talks remain distant even as Moscow signals retreat

President Biden and European leaders say they can't push Ukraine and Russia into talks, though some U.S. lawmakers are challenging issue aiding an open war.

WASHINGTON - U.S. and European officials say serious peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are unlikely in a near future, even as the Biden administration tries to answer growing questions from some members of Congress about the U.S. government's unlimited investment in the war.

Russian officials and Ukrainians have made separate public comments in recent days about possible peace talks, more than six months after their last known direct talks collapsed. But U.S. officials say they don't believe talks will begin soon and both sides believe continuing fighting, for now, will strengthen their eventual negotiating positions.

They also admit that it is difficult to envision the terms of a settlement that Ukraine and Russia would agree to.

Ukrainian officials are optimistic about their military prospects after making windfall gains this fall. Their morale soared again on Wednesday, when Russia ordered its forces to withdraw from the southern city of Kherson.

Perhaps more importantly, according to American and European officials, the population hardened by Russia's devastating military campaign, which destroyed civilian areas and led to massacres, rapes and looting. Even if Ukraine's leaders were willing to make concessions to end the fighting, their people are unwilling to accept that, officials say.

US officials argue that recent attacks on critical infrastructure have made negotiations less likely by eroding any public support for the compromise.

And while Russian President Vladimir V. Putin has suffered military casualties and repeated retreats, officials say he thinks the United States and Europe - as they grapple with soaring energy prices, fears of an escalating nuclear and political instability - could lose their will to continue supporting Ukraine at current levels.

After his army's apparent embarrassment in Kherson, Mr. Putin is less likely to seek peace than to redouble efforts to f put pressure on Kyiv and the West. Western officials see events this fall such as the alleged sabotage of the German rail system and drone surveillance of Norwegian offshore oil rigs as possible harbingers of larger Russian disruptions.

More than eight months after the invasion of Russia, US and European officials are struggling to describe a plausible endgame to the conflict that would be acceptable to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Mr. Putin , who has long been obsessed with the country.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">President Biden said Wednesday that Ukrainians will ultimately decide the end state of their country . “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” he said. The White House has pledged not to negotiate anything on the future of Ukraine without the presence of representatives from Kyiv.

But Mr. Biden faces a growing pressure from some members of Congress. As the war continues, House Republicans say they plan to step up scrutiny of US aid to Ukraine, especially humanitarian aid.

And some proponents of the negotiations say the talks should begin to at least explore the possibilities of common ground. Last month, 30 progressive House Democrats sent — then quickly withdrew under political pressure — a letter to Mr. Biden calling for “redoubled efforts to seek a realistic framework for a ceasefire...