In the speech, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg loudly announced the strategic mistake of the Kremlin, which led to the loss of the war. He emphasized that the Russian Federation fell into isolation and weakened. At the same time, statements about Ukraine’s victory are increasingly being heard as slogans, like an ideology, rather than the real goal. What caused it?
The purpose of the West
First of all, it is necessary to realize once and for all that the primary goal of our partners is really not the peace and integrity of Ukraine, no matter how much they say about it. Politicians are always interested in the well-being of their country and not in helping others, so they are guided by their interests.
Secondly, Ukraine’s victory requires enormous investments that even large countries cannot afford. Russia has built powerful military muscles, and it is naive to underestimate them.
Against the background of these two points, we can determine the changes that have happened to Russia starting on February 24, 2022:
– loss of tens of thousands of servicemen;
– loss of military equipment;
– weakening of political influence.
This means a strategic defeat, but only for the moment.
What about a talk?
As for the victory of Ukraine, one thing is clear – it is still very far away. Stoltenberg once again noted the incredible motivation and resilience of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; however, enthusiasm on the battlefield is not enough. We also need an advantage in weapons and equipment, which currently does not exist.
At the moment, only Russia can ensure peace because if Ukraine stops fighting, it will be occupied, and this is not peace at all. Peace negotiations are out of the question now because the Russian Federation is not ready to withdraw its troops, and the world community has no illusions about this. Moreover, Russia is waiting for winter to resume the offensive.
Ukrainians are also not ready to accept peace on the Kremlin’s terms. The Razumkov Center provided the results of a survey, according to which, as of September 2023, 90% of the population is against territorial concessions to Russia.
What to expect?
The unpleasant moment is that, despite their unquestionable support for Ukraine, the partners are delaying the transfer of weapons. Volumes for the current year were clearly defined, but only 30% has been provided so far, so there is a risk that the plan will not be fulfilled. To promise is one thing, and to deliver is quite another.
The President of Lithuania Nauseda noted that the reason for this delay in the schedule is the insufficient capacity of arms production. To solve the situation, the Ukrainian defense and industrial complex is rapidly increasing its volumes, but they are not enough to overcome the potential of Russia and its partners.
