The actions of the Kremlin indicate that Russia plans to launch a new offensive in Ukraine, and the invitation to resume the negotiation process is only an attempt to win a pause for rearmament.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote about this in his column for The Financial Times.
"Russia hopes to freeze the war to have time to regroup, rearm and try to resume the offensive. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggested that the Russian Federation begin withdrawing troops before Christmas as a first step towards ending the conflict, but Moscow sharply rejected this proposal. It was Putin who started the war, and he can end it even today by getting out of Ukraine. Now there are no signs that he really wants peace," noted the Secretary General.
He added that most wars sooner or later end with negotiations, and Zelensky has already offered his "peace formula."
"However, it is worth remembering that what happens at the negotiating table is inextricably linked with what happens on the battlefield. We must continue to support Ukraine so that it can hold its own as a sovereign, independent European state. If Putin wins Ukraine, it will signal to Russia — and other authoritarian regimes — that they can get what they want by force. It will be a disaster for Ukraine. And it will also make the whole world more dangerous and all of us more vulnerable. So it is in our own security interests to maintain support for Ukraine this winter, and for as long as it takes," argues Stoltenberg.
According to the NATO Secretary General, the head of the Kremlin made two strategic mistakes after the invasion — he underestimated the Ukrainians and the Alliance, which has a direct interest in Ukraine's victory in the war.
"Putin underestimated Ukraine. He thought he could take Kyiv and decapitate the government within a few days. After 10 months, the Ukrainian people, the Armed Forces and the country's leadership continue to defend their homeland with skill, courage and determination that inspire the whole world. Tens of thousands of Russian servicemen were wounded or killed. About 1 million people have left Russia since the start of the year, many to avoid being drafted into a war they don't believe in. As a result of this war, Russia has become poorer and more isolated," the NATO Secretary General emphasized in his column.
Moreover, according to Stoltenberg, Putin made another mistake when he underestimated the unity of the North Atlantic Alliance. Despite the fact that the military bloc is not a party to the conflict, the allies show a unified position regarding the supply of weapons to Ukraine and assistance in Kyiv's further European integration.
