Russia stockpiles resources to wage war against Ukraine until 2027

Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, shared this information on Espreso TV.

"Russia is not seeking any serious negotiations. I analyze not only Putin's statements but also the work of the military-industrial complex, economic potential, and the emphasis placed on defense and continuing an intensive war throughout 2025, as well as the attempt to accumulate resources and distribute them in a way that allows them to fight until 2027," said Kovalenko.

According to him, Russia uses various constructs about illegitimacy to make negotiations happen without Ukraine, but about Ukraine.

"They thought it would work with Donald Trump. Putin probably doesn't like Volodymyr Zelenskyy's position, so he tries to negotiate without him. The Russians are doing everything they can to derail the process and blame Ukraine for it, while preparing resources to continue the war. I hope these moves are anticipated not only by us but also by the new administration of Donald Trump and the European Union," Kovalenko said.

Putin can only be forced to negotiate through strength and allies who support Russia's actions, particularly China. If China is drawn into this process and is not on Russia's side, Russian rhetoric will change, as they will not be able to sustain the intensity of the war without help in circumventing sanctions and support for the military-industrial complex, noted the head of the CCD.

Currently, Russia is mirroring Ukraine's position on security guarantees for the country, promoting the idea that Ukraine cannot be in NATO and questioning European integration: "They are trying to impose these ideas on the future team of Donald Trump. We remember the statements of Malofeev, the church oligarch and propagandist, who said that if Russia's conditions are not taken into account, negotiations will not take place. It is important to see a firm position from the United States in the diplomatic duel with Russia. Our task is to prevent manipulations with the idea of security guarantees for Russia, ensuring that these guarantees do not weaken our European integration or security guarantees. This is a key point that the Russians will try to exploit," Kovalenko concluded.

• On December 12, the Office of the President stated that Ukraine was not ready for negotiations with Russia to end the war because of weak bargaining positions. The issue lies in the lack of weapons and clear guarantees that Russia will not attack again.
• Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed confidence that Trump wants to end Russia's war against Ukraine as quickly as possible.
• On December 16, Trump announced "modest progress" toward ending Russia's war against Ukraine.