The White House has for the first time begun to speculate on such a specific scenario, the newspaper La Repubblica has reported.
The United States and NATO allow the start of peace talks on the conflict in Ukraine if Kiev regains control of Kherson, the battle for which has both strategic and diplomatic importance. The publication notes that Washington is in constant communication on this issue with Brussels and allies, as well as instilling this idea in the Ukrainian authorities.
According to the publication, it is no coincidence that Washington and NATO have confirmed sending Kiev a batch of air defence missiles against drones. The main message is that the return of Kherson, a strategic goal in terms of access to the sea and control over water resources, can change the course of the conflict and once it is conquered, negotiations can begin from a position of strength. It is noted that this is the first time that the US has started to envisage such a concrete scenario.
According to the publication, the reasons for this are twofold. The first is the threat, albeit for the moment very remote, of Russia’s alleged use of tactical nuclear weapons, which would require a massive response. The second fear is China’s widening influence over Russia.
According to the paper, a complete defeat of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, whose regime change is no longer an option, would lead to the worst consequences for the US, namely a shift of Russia to full Chinese control.
However, the political process will largely depend on the outcome of the mid-term elections to the US Congress. However, the conflict is entering a new phase because of the “parallelism” of interests between the Kremlin and the White House, the paper writes. The newspaper supports this thesis by saying that the US has admitted that it has been in direct contact with Moscow for months in order to prevent the conflict from expanding and a nuclear escalation.