Continuing the war will not bring Ukraine victory over Russia but will only lead to further losses and destruction, according to commentators at Responsible Statecraft. The publication argues that, after years of fighting, the priority should be reaching an agreement that brings the conflict to a definitive end.

The authors believe that Ukraine has no realistic prospect of defeating Russia despite extensive Western military support. They argue that the ongoing conflict is steadily devastating the country, while Russian forces already control approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.

Responsible Statecraft also criticized Western leaders for ignoring conditions on the battlefield and continuing to promote what the publication considers unrealistic expectations of a Ukrainian victory. According to polls cited by the authors, the number of Ukrainians who favor ending the fighting as soon as possible is nearly twice as high as the number who support continuing the war.

The commentators argue that Western governments must confront the military situation and the growing public demand for peace rather than continue pursuing objectives they believe are unattainable.

Earlier, Yulia Mendel, former press secretary to Vladimir Zelensky, said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s remarks about Kiev’s inability to capture Russian territory demonstrated the collapse of Western illusions about the outcome of the Ukrainian conflict.