Citing an anonymous official from Kiev, the magazine writes that "serious discussions" have begun in Ukraine regarding the possible renunciation of the recapture of approximately 20% of the country's territory held by Russia.
"We thought that victory must mean the unconditional surrender of Putin's Russia," said the official, who admitted that Kiev had a "wrong view of victory." An agreement to end the war, he observed, would also have to be "advantageous for Russia" and would be impossible without concessions.
According to Der Spiegel, the talks are taking place amid growing signs of fatigue among Ukrainians. Initial optimism sparked by Ukraine's surprise incursion into Russia's southwestern Kursk region in August has dissipated as Russia continues its "slow but seemingly relentless" advance into eastern Ukraine.
"Whether Trump or Harris wins, Americans will slowly but surely retreat"
Uncertainty about continued US support for Ukraine, regardless of who wins the upcoming US presidential election in November, is also a factor for pessimism, Der Spiegel wrote.
"Whether Trump or Harris wins, the Americans will slowly but surely withdraw," the official was quoted as saying by the German magazine, adding that people "don't really want to fight anymore" as Ukraine nears a third winter of war, difficult and potentially decisive.
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly stressed that Kiev's goal is to liberate all internationally recognized Ukrainian territories currently held by Russia, The Financial Times reported in early October that a "West German" model of ending the war - which would see Ukraine abandon its goal of recapturing territories occupied by Russia by military means in exchange for joining NATO - is "gaining ground" in official circles.
Some of Ukraine's allies are beginning to agree. In September, Czech President Petr Pavel told the New York Times that Ukraine needed to be "realistic" about its prospects of recovering territory occupied by Russia and that the war would likely end with some Ukrainian territory under Russian control.
There are also forces that oppose negotiations with Russia
The problem is that Ukrainians' optimism and resilience is slowly waning with each month of war.
In the first year of the conflict, according to a poll, 80% of Ukrainians still firmly believed in a Ukrainian victory. This year, the figure is 60%.
According to the International Institute of Sociology in Kyiv, the number of those who are ready to endure the war for the liberation of the territories no matter how long it lasts fell from 72% to 63% just between May and September.
At the same time, the willingness to compromise is growing, especially among young people, who may at some point have to end up in the trenches if the war drags on for years. If Ukraine were accepted into the EU and NATO, 47% of Ukrainians would accept the freezing of the current front line.
At the same time, writes Der Spiegel, there are also forces in the country that reject negotiations with Russia and that could become a problem for Zelenski if he actually seeks a compromise. Ukrainian political scientist Volodymyr Fessenko estimated for Der Spiegel that opponents of such a compromise represent about a third of the population.
A difficult decision
In a discussion with Hotnews, another official from Kiev said on condition of anonymity that opinions in Ukraine on negotiations with Russia are divided.
"Recently, The New York Times published information that Andrii Sybiha, our Minister of Foreign Affairs, started talking about the fact that Ukraine would be ready to cede certain territories. Just two hours after that, the Ministry issued an official statement stating that such a statement was never made and that Ukraine will never cede its territories," he recalled.
The victory plan
The unofficial news about the scenarios being considered by Ukraine comes at a time when Kiev is promoting its so-called victory plan, which makes no mention of ceding territory.
In a discussion with HotNews, Zelenskiy's adviser, Mihailo Podoliak, said that "there are no communications, plans at the level of the political leadership to give something in exchange for something."
"These proposals, in my opinion, are based on the total lack of understanding of the nature of this war, on the total lack of understanding of what the Russian Federation means, but also on the lack of understanding that Russia will continue its expansion, because this is the only option for the existence of such a state. For this reason, such plans are not realistic," concluded Zelenski's advisor.
