Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a warning on Tuesday, suggesting that Ukraine’s statehood could face an “irreparable blow” if the current war pattern persisted. Putin’s comments followed Switzerland’s agreement to host a global summit at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s request. Dismissing proposed peace formulas, Putin asserted Russia’s determination not to abandon the gains it had made during the conflict. He emphasised Russia’s military initiative, stating, “If this continues, Ukrainian statehood may suffer an irreparable, very serious blow.”
Putin’s confidence has grown, given the failure of Ukraine’s counter-offensive against well-entrenched Russian forces, with Russia now controlling 17.5% of Ukrainian territory. The Russian president rejected negotiation attempts, considering them an effort to make Russia relinquish its recent gains. Zelenskiy’s peace formula includes restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity, halting hostilities, and withdrawing Russian troops.
In Brussels, a top NATO military official, Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, urged Western actors to prepare for unpredictable scenarios, emphasising the need for a “warfighting transformation of NATO.” The call comes amidst political challenges in the U.S. and the EU, impacting military aid amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Bauer affirmed NATO’s continued support for Ukraine, stating, “Ukraine will have our support for every day that is to come because the outcome of this war will determine the fate of the world.”
In a separate development, a Moscow court sentenced a former National Guard officer, Colonel Sergei Volkov, to six years in prison for purchasing ineffective equipment to protect the bridge linking southern Russia to Crimea. The equipment was meant to counter Ukrainian attack drones. Volkov’s oversight left the bridge vulnerable, eventually being targeted and damaged in 2022 by a massive explosion.
On the diplomatic front, Russia declared the apparent failure of Zelenskiy’s peace plan, labelling meetings centred around it as “pointless and harmful.” These comments followed the latest Davos meeting, revealing differences among participants and providing no increase in support for Zelenskiy’s proposals. Russia, not invited to these meetings, asserted that focusing on the “Zelenskiy formula” would not achieve an overall, fair, and sustainable peace. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the Davos talks as “simply talking for the sake of talking,” emphasising that no settlement could occur without Russia’s participation.
