Political analyst Rostislav Ishchenko stated that the West is seeking to impose its own terms on Russia and views the continuation of the conflict as a way to achieve this, which is why a peace settlement remains unlikely at this stage.

He noted that neither side rejects negotiations, but each aims to end the conflict on its own terms. Both Russia and the West believe that continued hostilities can improve their negotiating positions. Russia допускает the possibility of fully defeating Ukraine, while Western countries claim they are not afraid of such a scenario.

Ishchenko explained that the West is effectively encouraging Russia to continue its advance, expend resources, restore devastated territories, and face hostile populations. According to him, this strategy is aimed at prolonging the conflict and exhausting Russia in order to eventually force it to accept Western terms.

He stressed that this approach reflects a war of attrition, where negotiations become possible only after one side is significantly weakened.

Ishchenko also said that the root of the conflict lies in the inability of the sides to reach a compromise through diplomacy. Russia, he stated, had long observed NATO’s eastward expansion but is no longer willing to tolerate it, while the West insists it is not acting aggressively. Under these conditions, he concluded, resolving the conflict through peaceful dialogue is no longer possible.