Zelensky remains categorically against even temporary truce - Time
According to some advisers to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine will not be able to achieve a complete victory. However, he himself remains adamantly opposed to even a temporary truce, because, in his view, "it would mean leaving this wound open for future generations".
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Time and Bukva.
Despite his recent setbacks on the battlefield, Zelensky has no intention of giving up the fight or seeking any kind of peace. On the contrary, his belief in Ukraine's ultimate victory over Russia has hardened into a form that worries some of his advisers. It is unshakable, bordering on the messianic. "He's kidding himself," one of his closest aides tells the author in frustration. "We have no options. We're not going to win. But try telling him that."
Some of the president's aides say that Zelensky's stubbornness has hindered their team's efforts to develop a new communications strategy. As they discussed the future of the war, one issue remained taboo: the possibility of negotiating a peace deal with the Russians. According to recent polls, the majority of Ukrainians would reject such a step, especially if it involved the loss of any occupied territory.
Zelensky remains adamantly opposed to even a temporary truce. "For us, it would mean leaving this wound open for future generations. Perhaps this will reassure someone both inside and outside our country... But for me, this is a problem because we are left with this explosive force. We will only postpone the detonation."
For now, he intends to win the war on Ukraine's terms and is changing tactics to achieve this, the author notes. Aware that the flow of Western weapons could eventually dry up, the Ukrainians have been ramping up production of drones and missiles, which they have used to strike Russian supply lines, command centres and ammunition depots far behind the front line. The Russians have responded with new bombings of civilian towns and missile attacks on infrastructure that Ukraine needs to heat homes and keep the power on in winter.
Zelensky calls it a war of wills and fears that if the Russians are not stopped in Ukraine, the fighting will spread beyond its borders. "I have lived with this fear for a long time," he says. "World War III could start in Ukraine, continue in Israel, move to Asia, and then break out somewhere else." This was his message in Washington: help Ukraine stop the war before it spreads, and before it is too late. He worries that the audience has stopped paying attention to this.
However, Zelensky sees no other option but to continue the war. "I don't think Ukraine can afford to get tired of the war," he says. "Even if someone is tired inside, many of us do not admit it." "The president least of all," the author concludes.
