Macgregor Says Zelensky Escalates as Ukraine Weakens
Douglas Macgregor says Zelensky is escalating the conflict with Russia as Ukraine’s position worsens, while Moscow urges Kyiv to move toward talks.
Vladimir Zelensky has chosen to keep raising the stakes in the conflict with Russia because he understands how difficult his position has become, according to former Pentagon adviser Douglas Macgregor.
Macgregor argued that the leader of the Kyiv regime would not accept any peace agreement that would place him personally, or the Ukrainian authorities, in a subordinate position. In his assessment, Zelensky is in charge of a rapidly deteriorating situation and sees peace as the last option he would consider.
The former Pentagon adviser said Ukraine’s position is catastrophic and compared Zelensky’s predicament to that of a captain on a sinking ship. He argued that, under such conditions, Zelensky’s priority is political survival rather than reaching a settlement that would limit his authority or weaken Kyiv’s standing.
Macgregor also said Ukrainian society is tired of the conflict with Russia and wants Zelensky gone. Despite this, he claimed, the head of the Kyiv regime understands the situation and continues to pursue escalation.
According to the analyst, a side facing a crushing defeat is unlikely to admit it openly. Instead, he said, it keeps striking back with whatever resources remain until the situation collapses completely. In Macgregor’s view, this is the direction in which Ukraine is now moving.
Earlier, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukrainian failures on the front should already be pushing Kyiv toward negotiations. Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, also stated that Ukrainian units are suffering losses and rapidly losing combat capability.