More than 100,000 Russian soldiers may have been killed and wounded in this war while Ukraine “probably” suffered a similar number of casualties. And Zelenskyy’s government is reportedly under pressure from Washington to soften its uncompromising stance. Da Al Jazeera.
As Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu announced his army’s withdrawal from the key Ukrainian city of Kherson, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said it creates a window of opportunity for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour has already lasted for more than eight months, and casualties and destruction have mounted day after day. Milley said more than 100,000 Russian soldiers may have been killed and wounded in this war while Ukraine “probably” suffered a similar number of casualties.
To stress his point about peace, Milley evoked the great powers’ failure to negotiate at an earlier stage in World War I – a mistake that led to millions more casualties and catastrophic developments in several countries, notably the Russian Empire.
Milley’s remarks represent a change of tack in the official US rhetoric, raising questions about a possible push for peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv. What is more, in the weeks preceding the Russian withdrawal from Kherson, the United States and Russia resumed communication about Ukraine at the level of top security officials.
But are Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin willing to negotiate? And how would opening a dialogue reflect on their governments?
