Ukraine is openly advancing plans to escalate militarily against Russia, in hopes that it will force a return to diplomacy, and hasten an end to the war by winter time.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has made clear he aims to ramp up diplomatic, economic, and military pressure on Moscow, while acknowledging that a short timeline is ideal but likely very difficult to achieve.
via ReutersSpeaking Monday at a gathering of Ukrainian ambassadors in the capital, Zelensky identified autumn 2026 as the target window. "We will try very hard to make this happen before winter, in the autumn," he said, according to Ukrainian national media.
But he quickly tempered expectations, adding: "We clearly understand who we are dealing with and that Putin hopes to continue dragging out this war."
According to Zelensky, the Kremlin is preparing for a prolonged conflict. "He is preparing mobilization at home and new strikes. We see Russia's true intentions, we are uniting our partners and putting pressure on the aggressor," he said in reference to Putin.
He said this campaign is to include continued reliance on allied military and economic measures, until Moscow has no realistic alternative but to negotiate.
Zelensky pointed to what his government calls "long-range sanctions" - Ukraine's term for strikes on Russian military and industrial infrastructure supporting the war, alongside conventional sanctions imposed by Western governments.
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