An elderly woman walks in the village of Arkhanhelske, southern Ukraine, on the outskirts of Kherson, on Nov. 3. The Russians occupied the village until recently. Now Ukrainian forces are entering the villages that the Russians have left. The Russians also say they are withdrawing from Kherson, marking another major setback for the Russian military.
Bulent Kilic / AFP via Getty Images
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Bulent Kilic / AFP via Getty Images
An elderly woman walks in the village of Arkhanhelske, southern Ukraine, on the outskirts of Kherson, on Nov. 3. The Russians occupied the village until recently. Now Ukrainian forces are entering the villages that the Russians have left. The Russians also say they are withdrawing from Kherson, marking another major setback for the Russian military.
Bulent Kilic / AFP via Getty Images
Russia said the withdrawal of troops from the key city of Kherson in southern Ukraine would mark another major setback for Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
This is Ukraine’s latest military success since it launched a major offensive more than two months ago, setting clear momentum on the battlefield.
However, President Biden and his top advisers are now urging Ukraine to show greater willingness to consider peace talks with Russia.
“There needs to be mutual recognition that military victory, in the truest sense of the word, may not be achieved through military means, and therefore you need to turn to other means,” Army General Mark MilleyChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday.
“When there is an opportunity to negotiate, when peace can be achieved, take it,” Milley told The Economic Club of New York.
The lieutenant general is the latest of several administration officials to make remarks along these lines in recent days. American officials say they are not forcing Ukraine to negotiate or dictate any kind of potential outcome.
At a press conference on Wednesday, President Biden reiterated his stance that the United States “will not say [Ukraine] what they have to do. “
The president also said that Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson was evidence of “some real problems with the Russian military.”
He went on to say that the two sides will likely readjust their positions over the winter. And, Biden added, “it remains to be seen whether there will be a ruling on whether Ukraine is prepared to compromise with Russia.”
American officials also acknowledged that neither Ukraine nor Russia were willing to hold serious negotiations. But the Americans want Ukraine to reduce its tough opposition to talks with Russia, believing that talks will be required at some point.
Russia and Ukraine held a few short rounds of talks shortly after Russia in February. But the discussions went nowhere, quickly broke down, and there was no sign that they were about to start again.
In his nightly televised address, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week repeated the conditions before negotiations could take place. He said all Russian forces must leave Ukraine, Russia must pay for war damage, punish war criminals, and have guarantees that Russia will never again invade.
“We have proposed talks several times, to which we always receive frenzied Russian reactions, terrorist attacks, artillery shells or blackmail,” the Ukrainian president said.
When Russia annexed four regions of Ukraine in September, Zelenskyy said he would never negotiate with Putin.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday announced that Russia would withdraw its forces from the key southern city of Kherson. That marks another significant setback for the Russian military. Shoigu was shown here while attending a meeting on October 28 outside Moscow.
Mikhail Metzel / Sputnik / AFP via Getty Images
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Mikhail Metzel / Sputnik / AFP via Getty Images
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday announced that Russia would withdraw its forces from the key southern city of Kherson. That marks another significant setback for the Russian military. Shoigu was shown here while attending a meeting on October 28 outside Moscow.
Mikhail Metzel / Sputnik / AFP via Getty Images
“We will negotiate with the next president of Russia,” he said.
Zelenskyy did not mention Putin in his most recent statements, and some observers interpreted this as a slight shift in Ukraine’s position, even if it was not explicitly stated.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Russia “is ready for negotiations, taking into account the realities that are forming at the moment.”
However, she did not say what compromises Russia might be willing to make.
The Ukrainians say this follows a familiar pattern, with Russia offering to negotiate or pause when the country is underperforming and looking for an opportunity to regroup its military.
Meaning of Kherson
Kherson was one of the few Russian successes in the war. Russian forces encountered almost no resistance when they captured the city on the Dnipro River. It is seen as part of a broader Russian effort to gain control of Ukraine’s entire Black Sea coast, which is used to export the country’s agricultural products, the bedrock of the economy.
Now, the Russians say they will leave Kherson without a fight, even though Ukrainian forces have advanced on the city over the past two months.
Russian media reported on Thursday that the withdrawal had gone as planned. This follows the official announcement of the Russian military leaders on Wednesday on state television, where they said it was a difficult decision, but a necessary one to protect the troops. Russian forces.
Analysts say no such move could have been made without Putin’s approval, although the Russian leader has yet to make public comment.
This will mark the third major retreat of Russian forces this year.
A large Russian force approached the capital, Kyiv, the country’s largest city, in the first days of the war in February, but withdrew a month later in late March.
The Russians also approached the second largest city, Kharkiv, to the north, before retreating in May.
Ukraine’s cautious response
Despite Russia’s latest announcement, Ukrainians remain skeptical, saying they have not seen evidence of a full-scale withdrawal.
On Thursday, Ukraine said its troops had taken over dozens of villages outside Kherson in the past day. The Russian army and the barricades have disappeared. But Ukrainians say they are still unclear what Russia is doing inside the city.
Russia estimates there are between 20,000 and 30,000 troops in the Kherson area, a number that cannot be ignored if left unnoticed, especially since Ukraine has damaged or destroyed the bridges over the Dnipro River, which will be repaired. use to leave.
The mystery surrounding the state of the city may soon be unraveled. Some Ukrainian civilians remain in the city. The Ukrainian military has been keeping a close eye on Kherson as they move towards it this fall. And the US military and intelligence agencies are also watching from afar.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy urged the Ukrainian people to be patient.
“Our emotions must be contained,” the president said in a televised address Wednesday night. “The other party doesn’t bring us gifts, nor does he show goodwill.”
