With foreign aid to Ukraine in serious jeopardy, the U.S. and E.U. are quietly shifting their focus from supporting Ukraine’s goal of total victory over Russia to improving its position in an eventual negotiation to end the war, according to a White House official and a European diplomat based in Washington. Such a negotiation would likely mean giving up parts of Ukraine to Russia.

This strategic shift to defense could buy Ukraine the time it needs to eventually force Vladimir Putin into an acceptable compromise. The diplomat told us one thing that could help is the E.U.’s threat of expediting Ukraine’s membership in NATO, since Putin’s believed to be interested in a deal with Washington under which Ukraine will not enter NATO. (The Biden admin continues to maintain publicly that NATO membership is not being negotiated.)