President Putin and the West decide on conflict in Ukraine?

The Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita commented that the West is putting huge pressure on Ukraine and demanding success on the battlefield. However, this tension increases the possibility of a prolonged conflict. It will not be Zelensky who will decide when the conflict ends, but Russia and the West.

One of Ukraine’s biggest problems is its inability to decide its own fate, the Rzeczpospolita newspaper said. Kiev is conducting a major offensive, but so far it has failed to meet its own and the West’s expectations.

Rzeczpospolita assesses that the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is heavily dependent on the US and Western arms supplies. So Russian President Vladimir Putin will have a big say in whether this conflict ends. And if so, when.

According to Rzeczpospolita, how much territory Ukraine will regain is determined by external factors, including the changing “political season” in Washington, and other European capitals.

A prolonged offensive and “winter stalemate” would have particular implications for domestic politics in the United States, as it would raise questions about the level of support among American voters for the conflict in Ukraine, in the new election season.

US voters are bracing for a potential confrontation between incumbent President Joe Biden, who has revived the Western alliance and is a key ally of Ukraine, and former President Donald Trump, a NATO skeptic and admirer of Russian President Putin, who pledged to end the conflict within 24 hours.

For these political and strategic reasons, the Ukrainian government is under enormous pressure to sustain the counter-offensive, and demonstrate significant success on the battlefield.

However, Rzeczpospolita said the offensive is intensifying, increasing the likelihood of the conflict lasting at least until the end of next year.