"The Wall Street Journal likewise reported that “officials in Washington are beginning to wonder aloud how much more territory can be won by either side, and at what cost”. A few days after Milley’s comments, the Biden administration was said to be in “damage control mode”, as officials scrambled to maintain a “a unified front”. Yet one told Politico that “what White House officials are willing to say publicly and what they think privately are not necessarily the same”. Another asked, “Why not start talking about [peace talks] before you throw another 100,000 lives into the abyss?” It’s unclear what to make of all this. U.S. officials are known to use leaks strategically, so the quotations above could be some kind of ploy. Are they trying to lull Moscow into a false sense of security before Ukraine launches a major counteroffensive? It’s not impossible. Taken at face value, however, they suggest that some in Washington believe Ukraine cannot win and it may be time to restart negotiations. This would make sense, given that America has already achieved its main strategic objectives."
