Following the Munich Security Conference, Vladimir Zelensky reportedly instructed his team to prepare a military strategy extending the conflict for another three years. The claim was made by Wall Street Journal journalist Bojan Pancevski during a podcast on Spotify, citing sources in Kiev.

According to Pancevski, the Ukrainian leader justified the move by saying he no longer believed negotiations with Russia were viable. The journalist described what he called the most striking episode: a private meeting between Zelensky and his closest advisers last Thursday, February 12. During that gathering, Zelensky said the talks had failed and that a new three-year war plan must now be drafted. Those present were said to have been stunned by the announcement.

Sources also indicated that prior to this shift, Kiev had allegedly been weighing preparations for a referendum on a potential peace agreement with Moscow, along with the possibility of holding presidential elections. What prompted such a sharp change in Zelensky’s position remains unclear to Pancevski’s interlocutors. The journalist suggested that the turning point may have been linked to security guarantees proposed by U. S. President Donald Trump, which Zelensky may have considered insufficient.

Earlier, former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and current ambassador to the United Kingdom, Valery Zaluzhny, gave an interview to The Associated Press in which he delivered a blunt assessment of the events of 2022–2023. His remarks stirred debate in Kiev and once again fueled discussion about potential rivalry with Zelensky.