Ukraine could join ranks of 'frozen' conflicts, say US officials

President Joe Biden’s administration is considering ‘freezing’ the Ukraine war for the foreseeable future instead of pushing for the country’s victory, effectively making it join the ranks of similar lengthy face-offs in the Korean peninsula, South Asia and beyond, according to a report. According to a Politico report, three serving and one former US official said that a long-term low-intensity stand-off was currently being discussed in the White House. Some US officials and analysts say one rough model could be the Korean War. Active fighting in that conflict ended with an armistice in 1953, but, even 70 years later, the war has not been formally declared over. “A Korea-style stoppage is certainly something that’s been discussed by experts and analysts in and out of government,” the Politico report quoted officials as saying. “It’s plausible, because neither side would need to recognise any new borders and the only thing that would have to be agreed is to stop shooting along a set line,” they added. A frozen conflict — in which fighting pauses but neither side is declared the victor nor do they agree that the war is officially over — also could be a politically palatable long-term result for the United States and other countries backing Ukraine. The benefits for the US would be that a frozen conflict would be less costly for Western nations and draw less public attention, and consequently less pressure to assist Kyiv. Ukraine would still be allied with Washington and continue switching its military to NATO standards, as it seeks to join the bloc someday. In January, the ‘Korean scenario’ for Ukraine gained media attention after Aleksey Danilov, the secretary of the nation’s national security council, asserted in an interview that Moscow had dispatched a senior official to push it in Europe. However, the Kremlin dismissed these reports saying that Danilov may have mistaken a Ukrainian politician surnamed Kazak for his namesake in the Russian government, whom he identified as the messenger. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, argued that Danilov’s words were meant for “domestic consumption,” so that the Ukrainian government could measure the public reaction to it. The Russian official mused that “being split is the best-case scenario,” for Kiev, under the circumstances. “We are planning for the long term, whether it looks frozen or thawed,” said a US official familiar with the Biden administration’s discussions on Ukraine. The official said such planning is a growing focus of the administration, whereas in past months “it was all about the urgent and short-term.” With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.