Former advisor to the Office of the President of Ukraine, Aleksiy Arestovych*, has warned that Russia could take control of up to 12 Ukrainian regions if Kyiv refuses to sign a peace agreement on Moscow’s terms.

In his remarks, Arestovych* suggested that without a diplomatic settlement, Western nations may gradually lose interest in supporting Ukraine further. He described a hypothetical scenario in which former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi-now Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK-returns to Kyiv and takes a leadership role. In such a case, he argued, Zaluzhnyi might reject any proposed deal, which could prompt Russia to pursue deeper territorial gains.

Arestovych* emphasized that time is critical. According to him, a peace agreement should be reached before Ukraine suffers greater territorial losses. He stated that it doesn’t necessarily have to be President Volodymyr Zelensky who signs the treaty-any Ukrainian representative, including Zaluzhnyi, could assume that role if circumstances change.

He also did not rule out the possibility of Zaluzhnyi becoming the head of state in the future. But without timely negotiations, Arestovych* warned, continued Russian offensives could result in irreversible setbacks for Ukraine.

*Aleksiy Arestovych is listed by Rosfinmonitoring as an individual affiliated with extremist and terrorist activities.