White House asks Zelenskyy to show he is open to negotiate with Putin

This was reported by The Washington Post. 

According to the publication's sources familiar with the discussions, the administration of US President Joe Biden is privately encouraging Ukraine’s leaders to signal an openness to negotiate with Russia and drop their public refusal to engage in peace talks unless President Vladimir Putin is removed from power. 

At the same time, it is noted that the request of American officials is not aimed at pushing Ukraine to sit down at the negotiating table.  American senior officials call it a calculated attempt to ensure Ukraine's support from other countries, which are allegedly afraid of igniting a war for many years to come.

The Washington Post believes that these discussions demonstrate how difficult the position of the Biden administration has become regarding Ukraine, because high-ranking US officials publicly promise to support Kyiv “as much as it takes.”

At the same time, American officials share the assessment of their Ukrainian colleagues that Putin is not serious about the negotiations so far, they admit. However, they believe Volodymyr Zelenskyy's refusal to negotiate with the Russian dictator has caused concern in parts of Europe, Africa and Latin America, where Russia's war against Ukraine has driven up food and fuel prices.

• On October 30, adviser to the President's Office Mykhailo Podolyak stated that Russia is trying to force Ukraine's partners to put pressure on Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept the Kremlin's ultimatum at the negotiating table.