Former NATO Secretary General believes Putin’s “plan A” failed, and next year will be decisive for Ukraine

Vladimir Putin is betting on weakening the West instead of a rapid takeover of Ukraine. In addition, the war is likely to continue for a long time because the Russian dictator is waiting for the elections in the USA and hopes that their results will bring changes.

The former NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, stated this in an interview with the German television channel n-tv.

The journalist asked him when and how the war in Ukraine might end. Rasmussen admitted that "making time forecasts is difficult."

"I fear that this will be a long-term war. Putin's 'Plan A,' to conquer all of Ukraine in a few days, has failed. His 'Plan B' is a frozen conflict and Russian occupation of eastern Ukraine in the hope that the West will weaken and give in," the ex-leader of NATO added.

The former Secretary General of the Alliance assumed that the war in Ukraine would last at least until the end of 2024. After all, Putin hopes the presidential elections in the USA "will bring changes that will help him in one way or another."

"In my opinion, the next year will be decisive. If we give the Ukrainians everything they need to not just survive but also win the war, they have a good chance of pushing the Russians away," Rasmussen emphasized.

We will remind you that on June 29, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, took part in a panel discussion within the framework of the Dubrovnik Forum in Croatia.

The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized there that the war must end with the achievement of a just and lasting peace, which will bring understanding to all countries of the world about the potential consequences of an act of aggression against a sovereign state.

According to him, it is not only about restoring borders or bringing the aggressor to justice but also about creating a reality in which new aggression will become impossible.

"As we know from our own recent history, as well as from the history of other regions, peace without justice leads to new war. Therefore, the goal is not just to end war but to create a reality in which peace is just and lasting, and new war becomes impossible. This will be a victory," the minister said.

In this context, Kuleba noted the key role of the Peace Summit. He emphasized that he would continue to interact with countries from all over the world to find solutions to restore a just peace.

The head of the Foreign Ministry emphasized that the path to a just and lasting peace is not easy, but it has no alternatives.