The American daily indicates that Vladimir Putin has bet on four scenarios regarding the prospects of Russia's war against Ukraine and the Kremlin's plans for the near future. Two of them did not bring the expected results. Moscow failed to break the resistance of the Ukrainian army or cause the Trump administration to put pressure on Kiev to accept Russian conditions.
A blow to European unity and the Ukrainian economy
Due to the poor results, the Kremlin is currently focusing on the two remaining strategies, which it believes have a chance of success in 2027. The idea is to weaken the Ukrainian economy through mass attacks on infrastructure and counting on political changes in Europe that could reduce support for Ukraine.
According to "WSJ", Russian progress on the front this year is the smallest since 2022. Attempts to encircle Ukrainian positions in the Donetsk Oblast have failed, and the Ukrainian army continues to maintain the defense line.
Given the difficulties on the front, Moscow is intensifying missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure, warehouses, ports on the Black Sea and bridges on the Dnieper. Their goal is to deprive the population of electricity, heating and water in winter and to weaken the Ukrainian economy. According to "WSJ", the deterioration of living conditions may increase Ukraine's dependence on European financial aid. However, current surveys do not indicate that this increases Ukrainians' willingness to accept capitulation.
Talks about ending the war. Zelensky on the "window of opportunity"
"WSJ" reports indicate a two-track action by Russia, which, on the one hand, is participating in talks to end the war and, on the other hand, is planning how to suppress Ukrainian resistance.
As part of the talks on Ukraine, on the night from Thursday to Friday, President Donald Trump's envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, met in Dublin with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and representatives of Poland, Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, as well as EU institutions. Poland was represented by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Kupiecki.
Kushner, Trump's son-in-law who, together with Witkoff, flew to Dublin straight from a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, announced after the talks in Dublin that the next round of talks between Russia and Ukraine would be expanded to include Europeans.
The delegation of Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain, as well as representatives of EU institutions, were already present during the negotiations on Tuesday and Wednesday in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, but were not allowed to participate in direct negotiations with the Russians. Kushner's announcement shows that a European representative will now sit at the talks table.
On Wednesday, during a press conference, referring to the negotiations, Volodymyr Zelensky said that before the end of the year there may be a "window of opportunity" to achieve a breakthrough in negotiations to end the war with Russia.
Today there really is such a possibility, it is a window of opportunity in which all participants in the negotiation process sincerely want to achieve a result before 2027, Zelensky said, as quoted by AFP.
Zelensky emphasized that much will depend on "the will of the American side to put pressure on Russia - or lack thereof - as well as on the format of the dialogue they are conducting with the Russians."
