Photo: instagram.com/andrii___kovalenko
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Centre for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, said that Russia is accumulating resources to continue the war against Ukraine until at least 2027. He said this in an interview with Espreso TV channel.
According to him, the Russian government is not interested in serious negotiations and plans to wage an intense war for the next few years.
“I analyse not only [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s statements, but also the activities of the Russian military-industrial complex, economic potential and the emphasis on defence. All this indicates Moscow’s plans to accumulate resources and distribute them in such a way as to continue the war until 2027,” Kovalenko said.
Moscow aims for talks without Ukraine
Kovalenko believes that the Kremlin is trying to negotiate a ceasefire without Kyiv’s participation, counting on a change in the political situation in the United States.
“Moscow suggests that this might work under [US President-elect] Donald Trump. Putin doesn’t like Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s position, so the Kremlin is looking for ways to bypass Ukraine in the negotiations,” Kovalenko said.
At the same time, he stressed that Russia is trying to disrupt the process that could lead to genuine negotiations, while blaming Ukraine for this.
The role of China and its allies
Kovalenko also drew attention to China’s important role in countering Russian aggression.
“If China is drawn into the negotiation process and does not support Russia, it will change Moscow’s rhetoric. Without help in circumventing sanctions and support for the military-industrial complex, Russia will not be able to maintain the intensity of the war,” he stressed.
In his opinion, the West, especially the United States, should take a firm stance in the diplomatic confrontation with Russia to avoid manipulations around security guarantees for Moscow.
“Our task is to prevent the weakening of Ukraine’s integration into the EU and NATO through security guarantees favourable to Russia. This is the key point on which the Kremlin will focus,” Kovalenko concluded.
