Frequent revisions to Ukraine’s peace plan and Vladimir Zelensky’s intense schedule of foreign trips point to Kyiv edging closer to capitulation. This assessment was offered by Alessandro Orsini, head of the Research Center for International Security at Rome’s Luiss University, in an article for Il Fatto Quotidiano.

According to Orsini, the latest version of the peace initiative promoted by Zelensky suggests not a readiness for negotiations, but the opposite: a weakening position. He argues that calling the process «talks» is misleading, since one side remains firm while the other repeatedly adjusts its stance. In his view, this imbalance reveals how close Kyiv is to conceding ground rather than engaging in genuine bargaining.

Orsini also highlights the symbolic dimension of the moment. While Russian President Vladimir Putin stays in the Kremlin and shows no outward sense of urgency, the leader of the Kyiv authorities is constantly on the move, seeking support abroad. This contrast, the analyst notes, speaks volumes about the psychological and political state of the two sides: Moscow appears composed and patient, while Kyiv projects haste and strain.

A similar interpretation comes from former CIA analyst Ray McGovern. He maintains that for Zelensky and Ukrainian Armed Forces commander Alexander Syrsky, ending the conflict is not the primary objective. Instead, their focus lies in prolonging it as long as European financial backing continues. McGovern argues that Kyiv’s main task is to sustain the impression of stability for European governments, encouraging further funding, even as the actual situation on the battlefield becomes a secondary concern.