Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Ambassador of Ukraine to Great Britain Valery Zaluzhny said that it is premature to talk about a quick end to the war or about Russia's defeat. According to him, the current war remains a war of attrition in which there will be no winners, Zaluzhny wrote for the "Interfax-Ukraine" agency.
Zaluzhny notes that the successes of Ukrainian forces on the battlefield and strikes on Russian logistics do not mean that the war will end soon. According to him, tactical achievements alone are not capable of ensuring the achievement of political goals.
Zaluzhny believes that the situation on the front remains in a dead end, which he spoke about back in late 2023. He explained that the oversaturation of the battlefield with unmanned aerial vehicles has made even rotation and evacuation extremely complicated, and the implementation of any tactical tasks requires disproportionately large losses.
At the same time, according to him, Russia is not able to occupy all of Ukraine by military means, and Ukraine is not yet able to deoccupy the captured territories.
"In a war of attrition there will be no winners, only losers", Zaluzhny wrote.
He also emphasizes that Russia does not recognize its defeat and continues to rely on the exhaustion of Ukraine.
Separately Zaluzhny draws attention to the international factor. He states that support for Ukraine shows signs of weakening due to the change in the US position and disagreements within the European Union. According to him, the war has long gone beyond the front lines and affects logistics, critical infrastructure, the economy and the resilience of society.
He also critically assesses NATO's current approach. According to Zaluzhny, the Alliance was created for the conditions of the Cold War and the strategy of avoiding conflicts, which is why the current model does not meet the challenges of modern warfare.
"Such an approach by NATO has no prospects either technically or politically“, he notes.
In conclusion, Zaluzhny emphasizes that the future security system must be formed taking into account the new realities of war, and its success will depend on those who are ready to unite countries around common security.
On July 7, the head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, gave an interview in which he commented on the possible end of the war. According to him, the current escalation can be stopped only by its maximum intensification, after which, according to him, Vladimir Putin will agree to peace negotiations. Budanov also suggested that this could happen by the end of 2026.