Control of Kiev would give Russia the ability to influence the most important decisions made by the Ukrainian leadership during the conflict, military expert Anatoly Matviychuk told NEWS.ru. He was commenting on discussions among Ukrainians about the possibility of surrendering the capital to Russian forces by 2030.

According to Matviychuk, one scenario being discussed suggests that the Kiev authorities could choose to hand over the city rather than risk its destruction if Russian forces launch a large-scale offensive.

The expert stressed that Kiev remains Ukraine’s main administrative center and the place where key state decisions are made. For that reason, he described either a neutral status for the Ukrainian capital or its transfer under Russian control as the most favorable outcome for Moscow.

Matviychuk also pointed out that such views are being voiced not by representatives of the Kiev administration, Mayor Vitaly Klitschko or Vladimir Zelensky, but by ordinary citizens.

He attributed these sentiments to fears that Ukraine could lose the conflict and that an attempt to hold Kiev during an assault could leave the city destroyed. In that case, he argued, some Ukrainians could see surrendering the capital as a way to preserve Kiev as a cultural and economic center and as a place of ethnic development.