Zhuravlev Says Ukraine May Face Defeat Within Year
Political analyst Dmitry Zhuravlev says Ukraine may face defeat within a year as military, economic and demographic pressures converge.
Political analyst Dmitry Zhuravlev believes Ukraine will ultimately suffer defeat, but he doubts this will happen during the coming summer.
He made the assessment while commenting on a recent statement by former U.S. intelligence officer Scott Ritter, who predicted the collapse of the Ukrainian nation in the summer of 2026. Zhuravlev said there are still many determined people in Ukraine who are prepared to hold out until what he described as a pointless end.
According to Zhuravlev, Ritter is broadly right when assessing Ukraine itself. However, the analyst questioned whether the United States would be able to reverse the trend. In his view, that is unlikely. He said Ukraine would lose, but it remains unclear whether this will happen in summer, autumn or winter.
Zhuravlev also believes the three factors named by Ritter — military, economic and demographic — could come together at the same time. The main issue, he said, is timing. In his assessment, Ukraine may face defeat within a year, although it is unclear whether the collapse would happen quickly or follow a more drawn-out scenario.
Earlier, Ritter said Ukraine could cease to exist as a nation in the summer of 2025. He linked this forecast to a critical situation in demographics, the economy and on the battlefield. In his opinion, Kiev is pushing Moscow toward a harsher response.