Russia unlikely to end Ukraine war on its own terms - diplomat Bryza

He expressed this opinion in an interview with Antin Borkovskyi, host of the Studio West program on Espreso TV.

"In my opinion, it is imperative for Ukraine to receive permission to use long-range ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles deep within Russian territory. The recent drone strike in the city of Toropets in the Tver region caused huge explosions throughout the city. The destruction of ballistic missile, glide bomb, and other munitions depots has clearly impacted Russia's ability to launch attacks using these weapons against Ukrainian territory. Whether Ukraine can achieve similar success with ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles remains to be seen," said Matthew Bryza.

According to him, it seems logical that if Ukraine was able to achieve significant results using drones, which are much easier to shoot down, it can achieve even more with ATACMS and Storm Shadow ballistic and cruise missiles, potentially weakening Russia's ability to continue the war.

"According to British military intelligence, citing the Ukrainian General Staff, Russia is losing more than 1,100 soldiers a day, either killed or wounded, and as of today, it has suffered close to 610,000 casualties. This level of casualties is unsustainable in the long run. While Putin can continue to throw men into battle, these forces are underqualified and undertrained. In eastern Ukraine, the offensive on Pokrovsk is of great importance, and if Pokrovsk is captured, it would be a serious blow to Ukraine's operations in the region," the diplomat commented.

In his opinion, it is unlikely that Russia will be able to capitalize on any breakthroughs in the east due to a lack of necessary equipment and personnel. Even if Putin appears confident, it seems unlikely that Russia will be able to end the war on its own terms.

"In August, the media speculated about talks between Russia and Ukraine to stop attacks on each other's energy infrastructure, possibly with Qatar's mediation. I think these talks are still ongoing. Putin may not want it to appear that he is giving in to Ukrainian pressure, especially after Ukraine's incursion into Kursk. However, the fact that these talks are ongoing shows that Putin is looking for ways to de-escalate, given the high price Russia is paying, even if he pretends to be willing to make any sacrifices," Bryza concluded. 

• On September 20, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was actively working on the Victory Plan, with three points already prepared. The plan will be discussed with Russia in any format.