Ukraine's Evolving Strategy for Peace and Counteroffensive

Some commentators and a U.S. official have suggested that President Joe Biden missed an opportunity to diplomatically end the war in Ukraine. However, there is no evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready or open to a negotiated settlement. Putin's retreat from Kherson made it less likely that he would respond favorably to negotiations, and he did not even bother to issue a counteroffer to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace proposal. General Mark Milley's remarks about the need for mutual recognition of the unlikelihood of military victory were misinterpreted, and he acknowledged that the counteroffensive had not run its course yet. The Biden administration is grappling with the question of what to do if a negotiated settlement is not possible.