EU and US begin quiet talks on peace with Ukraine as Russia continues war

US and European government officials have started quiet talks with Ukrainian leaders about possible measures to end the war with Russia.

The discussions came as Ukraine reported 14 civilians wounded in Russian attacks, and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive branch arrived in Kyiv Saturday for talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky about joining the European Union.

Yuri Malshko, the governor of the southeastern Zaporizhzhia province, said nine people were wounded in a Russian rocket strike on the village of Zarichne as 26 cities came under heavy fire over the last day.

In the neighboring Kherson region, five people were wounded, said Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin.

He said that attacks in the province came from artillery, mortars, drones, warplanes and tanks.

The two provinces are among the areas Russia claims as its own, and provide a key land corridor from Crimea to the eastern battlefields for Russia.

Talks to end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a deal, US officials told NBC News.

Some of the talks, which officials described to the outlet as “delicate,” took place last month during a meeting of representatives from more than 50 countries that support Ukraine, the report said.

The talks come as the Biden administration has sought authorization from Congress for additional funding for military aid to Ukraine.

The White House has military assistance for both Ukraine and Israel in its most recent request.

Although the joint request has support among some Republicans, other GOP lawmakers have said they will only support aid to Israel The House passed a $14.3 million aid package for Israel lon Thursday that likely will not receive approval from the Senate because it did not exclude funding for Ukraine.

The Biden administration has spent $43.9 billion on security assistance for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022, with $5 billion more to go before the cash runs out.

Despite the ongoing talks with Ukraine, US officials said that there is no indication that Russian president Vladimir Putin is willing to negotiate a peace deal.

Putin still feels that he can “wait out the West” or keep fighting until US domestic support for the war dries up, according to NBC.

Von der Leyen, who made her sixth visit to the Ukraine capital on Saturday, tweeted that talks would focus on the path for Ukraine to join the EU “and how we will continue to make Russia pay for its war of aggression.”

“I must say you have made excellent progress. This is impressive to see,” von der Leyen said after the meeting with Zelensky.

“We should never forget you are fighting an existential war and at the same time you are deeply reforming your country.”

“We will introduce sanctions until peace comes,” she said.

With Post Wires