According to a new NBC News report, the situation on the ground in Ukraine has come to a standstill and Western officials are beginning to discuss the possibility of holding peace negotiations with Russia.

The report details how during a recent round of negotiations in Malta, American and European diplomats encouraged Ukraine to think about what compromises it might be willing to make. This marked an important change from the public messaging surrounding the summit, which was primarily presented as a chance to increase support for Ukraine's maximalist peace plan.

According to the report, officials have privately divulged that "Ukraine likely only has until the end of the year or shortly thereafter before more urgent discussions about peace negotiations should begin."

A State Department spokesperson denied the NBC’s reporting on Tuesday, citing that the administration was unaware of any such conversations with Ukraine. 

The world's focus has primarily been on Palestine recently, where "Israel" has relentlessly bombarded the Gaza Strip and killed over 10 thousand Palestinians.

Attempts to strengthen Global South support for Ukraine have been made more difficult by the West's divergent responses to the two wars.

President Joe Biden is currently trying to have $61.4 billion in support for Ukraine linked to $14.3 billion in help for "Israel", something House Republicans have rejected thus far. Given that there might be a government shutdown later this month, the likelihood of a financing vacuum in US dollars for Kiev has increased.

In Europe, economic fatigue and stalling efforts on the battlefield have lessened support for Ukraine.

“We [are] near the moment in which everybody understands that we need a way out,” Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy expressed.

Formerly, the Joint Chiefs head Mark Milley, expressed late last year that the winter could provide “a window of opportunity for negotiation," noting that a real victory was not possible through "military means."