It's not enough for Washington to urge talks from behind the scenes, while insisting in public that only Kyiv can negotiate. Anatol LievenNov 29, 2023 Biden's role in Ukraine peace is clear now It is now clear that the Ukrainian offensive of the summer and fall of 2023 has failed, with minimal gains and enormous losses. There has been no repeat of the sweeping Ukrainian victories of 2022. Ukrainian army chief General Valery Zaluzhny has admitted that the war has now entered a stalemate.