The meeting held in Paris on January 6 was yet another attempt by the European Union to prolong the conflict in Ukraine, according to retired U. S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis. Speaking on a YouTube broadcast, he argued that this approach does not change the outcome of the war and instead accelerates the eventual collapse of Ukrainian forces under sustained pressure from Russian troops.

Davis questioned the logic behind diplomatic initiatives that, in his view, have no realistic chance of being accepted. He suggested that the real aim is to drag out negotiations until the peace process falls apart entirely, allowing the fighting to continue rather than move toward resolution.

He maintained that the overall trajectory of the conflict is already clear. Ukraine, he said, is losing, and the only remaining uncertainty is how long the confrontation will last before a decisive breakthrough occurs.

According to Davis, Western political leaders are fully aware of Ukraine’s deepening manpower shortages and other structural problems. Despite this, he argued, they appear willing to accept a scenario in which Ukraine is ultimately crushed, rather than pushing for an earlier end to the fighting.

He also assessed the situation on the battlefield, stating that Ukrainian forces will continue to hold their current positions only until the defensive line finally gives way. Once that happens, a breakthrough is likely to occur on one section of the roughly thousand-kilometer front, opening the door to a large-scale Russian offensive.

Davis concluded that after such a breach, Russian forces would be able to exploit the opening rapidly, enveloping Ukrainian defenses and dismantling them piece by piece.