In his newly released article, renowned US journalist Seymour Hersh assured that peace negotiations between top Russian and Ukrainian generals Valery Gerasimov and Valerii Zaluzhnyi respectively are currently underway which include a potential security of Crimea and another four former regions of Ukraine as part of Russia.

Included in the potential deal would also be Russia's agreement to Ukraine’s accession to NATO provided that NATO troops are not stationed on its territory and only defensive weaponry is located there.

According to Hersh, both Russia and Ukraine agree that the persistence of war is illogical and that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be with an agreement that fixates borders according to where the troops are stationed after the end of peace negotiations.

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Hersh cited a US official involved in the top negotiations as saying: "This was not a spur-of-the-moment event," adding: "This was carefully orchestrated by Zaluzhny. The message was the war was over and we want out. To continue it would destroy the next generation of the citizens of Ukraine."  

On the other hand, the Biden administration is strongly opposing the peace deal while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remains the "wild card" but has been allegedly told that "this is a military-to-military problem to solve and the talks will go on with or without you". 

"The White House is totally against the proposed agreement," the US official said, noting: "But it will happen. Putin has not disagreed."  

Win some, lose some

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has declared that Ukraine has made substantial progress in fulfilling the criteria set by the European Union (EU) to commence the process of joining the union.

Speaking to Politico on Tuesday, von der Leyen affirmed that Ukraine has met "all the necessary requirements for nearly all the seven steps we asked them to do … when they became a candidate country."

In her address to the Ukrainian parliament on November 4, von der Leyen disclosed that Ukraine had already satisfied 90% of the prerequisites necessary to initiate the accession process. She further noted that if the conditions are promptly met, negotiations could begin by the end of 2023.

However, this may not spell wholly good news for Ukraine.

Hungary and Slovakia publicly declared ending aid to Ukraine, and France announced its intention to minimize aid to Ukraine after Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu stated it would no longer provide from its own stockpiles and that Ukraine would have to purchase equipment from private companies "using money from a special fund."

Read more: US sees Ukrainian army demoralized, no chance to win: Seymour Hersh

Slovakian former Prime Minister Robert Fico, who is currently in the parliamentary elections, has also publicly declared that he will not support Ukraine's accession to NATO. Campaigning under "Not a single round" for Kiev, Fico has put Western states on their toes.

Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto even said his country would veto the 12th sanctions package by the EU if it targets Russian gas, oil, or nuclear energy. 

According to Szijjarto, any restrictions on those who have done good to Hungary by "saving the lives of Hungarians, for example through making it possible that we could buy vaccines," or contributing to its energy supply will be opposed.