The United States has repeatedly rejected Zelensky’s calls for more immediate assistance, such as fighter jets and a mandatory no-fly zone. In a White House reading of the two leaders’ conversation Wednesday, Biden sought to highlight the military assistance the United States was willing to provide and the “critical impact that these weapons had on the conflict.” A day after Russia claimed it was limiting its military operation near the Ukrainian capital, raids continued on the outskirts of Kiev as well as in Chernihiv, where the mayor said the city was “colossally attacked”. had already expressed deep skepticism about Russia’s claims of de-escalation, noting that its forces had already stopped at some points where it claimed to be retreating. On Wednesday, the United States released declassified information indicating that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been misinformed by his advisers about the Russian military’s performance in Ukraine. Government officials also closely monitored the ongoing peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, which both sides said were showing signs of progress following the meetings in Istanbul. The United States has been less optimistic, saying it did not believe Putin and his entourage were negotiating in good faith. After his call with Biden, Zelensky wrote on Twitter that he “shared the assessment of the situation on the battlefield and at the negotiating table. “He spoke of specific defense support, a new package of enhanced sanctions, macroeconomic and humanitarian assistance.” The White House also said that Zelensky “briefed President Biden on the state of Ukraine’s negotiations with Russia.” U.S. officials have been working in recent weeks to determine what Zelensky’s goals may be in the talks, including possible concessions. Following the meeting in Turkey, possible outlines of a settlement emerged, including discussions on the status of the disputed territories, formal neutrality for Ukraine and international security guarantees. A possible meeting between Zelensky and Putin was also on the table. However, a day later, Moscow downgraded any progress in diplomacy. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov said there had been no significant discoveries. And as pessimism continued to permeate Western leaders, the talks could make significant progress. The continuing violence in Ukraine on Wednesday seemed to confirm US suspicions that Russia’s allegations of de-escalation were merely an attempt to divert. Biden’s phone call with Zelensky, which began shortly after 11 p.m. ET, is the first time the two men have spoken directly after the President’s last-minute trip to Europe for a NATO summit and meetings in Poland. Zelensky actually appeared at the summit in Brussels, begging leaders for escalating military assistance to help his army maintain the fight against Russia. The Ukrainian army has achieved far beyond expectations by keeping Russia away, although Russia continues to wreak havoc on the country. Russia’s origins in Kyiv and Chernihiv had already stopped before Russia announced this week that it was de-escalating its military campaign in those areas. On Wednesday, a US official said US intelligence findings showed Putin was being “misinformed” by his advisers about the Russian military’s poor performance in Ukraine and the impact of sanctions on the Russian economy. “His top advisers are very afraid to tell him the truth,” he said, adding that the United States had information showing that Putin had learned of the misinformation, leading to a rift between Russian leaders and top defense officials. “There is now a persistent tension between Putin and the (Ministry of Defense), which stems from Putin’s distrust of the MOD leadership,” the official said. Putin did not know that his army was “using and losing troops in Ukraine, showing a clear collapse in the flow of accurate information to the Russian president,” the official added. This information may explain why Putin rejected a series of diplomatic ramps offered by the United States and other countries to Putin in view of his invasion of Ukraine, believing that the Russian army would be able to quickly overthrow Ukraine. The official declined to give further examples of Putin’s misinformation by his advisers, saying the information remained confidential. The US intelligence community has declassified and downgraded the summary of its findings, but not specific information on the protection of sources and methods.
