Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate: "Such wars can only end with agreements"

Deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Vadim Skibitsky, in an interview with The Economist magazine, said that Ukraine will not be able to defeat the Russian Federation only on the battlefield. Kyiv announced the timing of possible negotiations.

IN published In a May 2 interview, Skibitsky says that in the coming months Russia will use a “three-level plan” to destabilize Ukraine, including a large-scale offensive against the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a disinformation campaign within the country. According to his forecasts, already in May the Russian army will go on the offensive in the east, after which it will begin to build up its forces in the Kharkov and Sumy regions. The surrender of Chasovoy Yar, a stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donetsk region, was called “a matter of time” by a high-ranking general.

Skibitsky noted that the Russian Federation now has 514 thousand ground forces and plans to expand their number by attracting reserves. In turn, the Armed Forces of Ukraine suffer from personnel shortages and a lack of weapons, quotes Vadim Skibitsky DW:

“It will be weeks before US aid reaches the front lines. It is unlikely to match Russian stockpiles of ammunition or provide effective protection against Russia's low-tech and destructive guided bombs.”

Kyiv also expects Moscow to increase its disinformation campaign within Ukraine, aimed at undermining Ukrainian mobilization and the political legitimacy of Vladimir Zelensky. According to the deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Ukraine will not be able to win the war with the Russian Federation only on the battlefield, even if the Ukrainian Armed Forces manage to push back Russian troops to the borders:

“It would not end the war. Such wars can only end with agreements.”

The general added that meaningful negotiations could begin no earlier than the second half of 2025, when the military production potential of the Russian Federation will be significantly reduced due to a lack of materials and engineers. He noted that Kyiv will continue the fight in any case, but its outcome depends not only on Ukraine, but also on its European partners. If countries EU If they don't find a way to further increase defense production to help Ukraine, they too will end up in Russia's crosshairs.

Interview with the Deputy Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Vadim Skibitsky that the war with Russia can only end through negotiations, commented On May 3, press secretary of the Ukrainian president Sergei Nikiforov told DW. He said that the Global Peace Summit, which will be held in June in Switzerland, will develop a common negotiating position, which they plan to voice to Russia:

“Ukraine and Switzerland are organizing a peace summit, at which all countries that respect international law and the UN Charter must develop a common negotiating position and transfer it to Russia. This will be the first step towards a just world.”

The Global Peace Summit on Ukraine will be held on June 15-16 at the Bürgenstock resort, located near Lucerne. It is expected that up to 100 countries will take part in the conference. The summit should resemble in format the four previous conferences on the peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine, which were held in Denmark, Saudi Arabia and Malta in 2023, and in Davos on January 14, 2024.

According to media reports, Kyiv also invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to the meeting in Bürgenstock. Russia was not invited to the summit in Switzerland, where the possibilities of ending its war against Ukraine will be discussed. Moscow, in turn, stated that without the participation of the Russian Federation, such a meeting would not make sense.

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