An unidentified senior U.S. official and one former U.S. official were quoted by NBC as stating that U.S. and European officials had spoken to the Ukrainian government about what potential peace negotiations with Russia may involve to stop the war.

Now in its 21st month, the conflict in Ukraine has wrecked large areas of the nation and resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths or injuries. In addition, it has set off the most serious crisis in Moscow’s ties with the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

NBC said the conversations had included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a deal with Russia.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the conversations reported by the U.S. television network.

The conversations with Ukraine come amid concerns among U.S. and European officials that the war has reached a stalemate and also about the West’s ability to continue providing aid to Ukraine, NBC quoted the officials as saying.

Russia currently controls about 17.5% of Ukraine’s internationally recognised territory.

Moscow says it had to launch what it calls the “special military operation” in Ukraine in response to what it sees as a hostile and aggressive West it says is using Kyiv to undermine Russia. Kyiv and its Western allies say this is nonsense and that Moscow’s actions are an imperial-style land grab.

The Kremlin says it will achieve all of its aims in Ukraine.

Kyiv says that it wants to take back control over all of the territory taken by Russia, including Crimea which was annexed in 2014, and that it will not rest until every last soldier is ejected from its territory.