RUSSIA/UKRAINE

GEIST The Biden Administration ░░░░░░░░ more assistance for Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ as part of another ░░░░░░░░ drawdown from U S ░░░░░░░░ the 250 million package ░░░░░░░░ artillery shells air defense ░░░░░░░░ anti aircraft and anti ░░░░░░░░ missiles as well as ░░░░░░░░ arms ammunition Officials say ░░░░░░░░ latest batch of weapons ░░░░░░░░ be the last from ░░░░░░░░ S stockpiles unless Congress ░░░░░░░░ new funding for Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ Michael you ve gotten ░░░░░░░░ reporting for Politico magazine ░░░░░░░░ the inside discussions between ░░░░░░░░ Biden Administration and European ░░░░░░░░ surrounding the war in ░░░░░░░░ specifically that both are ░░░░░░░░ shifting their focus away ░░░░░░░░ total victory and toward ░░░░░░░░ negotiated path to end ░░░░░░░░ war So this is ░░░░░░░░ that s been floated ░░░░░░░░ for several months that ░░░░░░░░ isn t probably going ░░░░░░░░ be total victory In ░░░░░░░░ words Ukraine at the ░░░░░░░░ of this may not ░░░░░░░░ back all it has ░░░░░░░░ during this war So ░░░░░░░░ is your sense of ░░░░░░░░ those talks are and ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine is feeling about ░░░░░░░░ HIRSH Well there aren ░░░░░░░░ any talks yet nor ░░░░░░░░ there any planned Ukrainian ░░░░░░░░ that of President Zelenskyy ░░░░░░░░ you know we re ░░░░░░░░ we re not talking ░░░░░░░░ now And the only ░░░░░░░░ for negotiation there would ░░░░░░░░ to start with complete ░░░░░░░░ withdrawal which of course ░░░░░░░░ not going to happen ░░░░░░░░ think what s happening ░░░░░░░░ is an attempt by ░░░░░░░░ United States and Europe ░░░░░░░░ set up the Ukrainians ░░░░░░░░ a much stronger defensive ░░░░░░░░ to make Russian advances ░░░░░░░░ more unlikely as we ░░░░░░░░ into what is probably ░░░░░░░░ to be a spring ░░░░░░░░ by Russia I think ░░░░░░░░ s a great fear ░░░░░░░░ the Russians will bring ░░░░░░░░ their very formidable air ░░░░░░░░ in a way they ░░░░░░░░ t done so until ░░░░░░░░ as the Ukrainians run ░░░░░░░░ of air defense munitions ░░░░░░░░ there s there s ░░░░░░░░ very quiet push going ░░░░░░░░ to strengthen their hand ░░░░░░░░ any future negotiating table ░░░░░░░░ there s you know ░░░░░░░░ I think good consensus ░░░░░░░░ this point on on ░░░░░░░░ part of the United ░░░░░░░░ and the Europeans that ░░░░░░░░ is unlikely to come ░░░░░░░░ the table until he ░░░░░░░░ who wins the the ░░░░░░░░ States you know presidential ░░░░░░░░ in November.”