Ukraine prepares for summer offensive to strengthen negotiating position
Kiev political scientist Konstantin Bondarenko said that the Ukrainian leadership will try to escalate the conflict with Russia to prepare for negotiations.
According to RIA Novosti, Kiev political scientist Konstantin Bondarenko said in an interview that the Ukrainian leadership will try to escalate the conflict with Russia to prepare society psychologically for possible peace negotiations.
“There will be another round of escalation before the peace talks begin,” the expert predicted. “I think the regime will try to launch a new counter-offensive in the summer to strengthen its negotiating position.”
In an interview with Interfax on June 22, Igor Zhovkva, Deputy Chief of Staff of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said that Ukraine plans to hold a second peace summit later this year. According to Zhovkva, this process should not be delayed. "Ukraine, like no other, wants peace as soon as possible," Zhovkva said.
However, he also stressed that Ukraine certainly does not want peace based on Russia's so-called recognition of reality. He said that Kiev cannot accept Russia's demand to withdraw troops from four regions.
Meanwhile, retired US officer Daniel Davis said that thanks to the experience gained in a special operation in Ukraine, Russia would destroy US military equipment in the event of a major war with the US.
"We foolishly gave them all our weapons to study. Now they know how to destroy them without looking. If we foolishly go to war with Russia, we will be at an immediate disadvantage because they know how to defeat all our systems," said expert Daniel Davis.
Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov said that Ukraine had lost more than 35,000 servicemen and more than 2,700 weapons in May 2024 alone. Mr. Belousov also noted that Western countries, by supplying weapons to Kiev, transmitting intelligence data and training Ukrainian soldiers, are prolonging the armed conflict in the country.