Summer campaign of 2025 will be decisive battle of Russia-Ukraine war — political scientist

He shared this view in an interview with Anton Borkovskyi, host of Studio West on Espreso TV.

“It’s telling that Russia refused to put their memorandum in writing until the very last moment. I understand why. It’s one thing to use empty rhetoric about the goals and causes of the war. But the real reason is simple: the existence of an independent Ukrainian state. That, for Putin’s imperial Russia, is unacceptable — and it’s the true root cause of this war,” Piontkovsky said.

He added that Russia’s proposals now look like a future confession — something to be used in an international tribunal against the main war criminals.

“The prosecutors won’t have much work to do — they’ll just need to read this arrogant Russian memorandum aloud,” said political scientist Andrei Piontkovsky. “Putin hesitated, but in the end, he chose to burn all bridges. At this point, diplomacy no longer matters. Everything will be decided by the outcome of the summer 2025 battle.”

Piontkovsky believes this will be the decisive battle of the war — and a turning point in the history of Europe and the world.

“The result will be clear by the fall of 2025, based on all objective factors. Despite the huge burden Ukraine carries — defending not just itself but all of Europe — Ukraine will win. Ukraine and its Western allies will prevail. After that, it will be Putin’s turn. He might want to talk, but that conversation will be on very different terms. Everything will be settled on the battlefield this summer,” he concluded.