A senior advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claims that Ukraine is seeking more weapons from the West because Russia is “not interested” in a peace settlement. Mykhaylo Podolyak told Radio Free Europe’s Current Time that Russia’s actions, even after recent diplomatic summits, show a clear intent to continue the war.
Ukraine’s Call for Increased Arms
Podolyak stated that Kyiv is engaged in “active consultations” with American and European officials to increase the supply of various military assets. He specified that Ukraine is focused on acquiring more long-range missiles and drones to more effectively counter Russia’s ongoing operations.
The Three-Part Strategy of Russia
According to Podolyak, Russia’s current war strategy has three core elements:
- Deception: Russia is trying to buy time by deceiving the United States with a supposed readiness to negotiate.
- Rejection of a Ceasefire: Russia has no intention of agreeing to any comprehensive ceasefire plan, including those discussed by Donald Trump.
- Avoiding Sanctions: Russia is merely imitating a willingness to negotiate at the presidential level to prevent further sanctions.
Persistent Diplomatic Stalemate
The article notes that the fighting has continued despite recent high-level diplomatic efforts, including the Trump–Putin summit in Alaska and a subsequent meeting with Zelenskyy in Washington. While Zelenskyy has repeatedly said he is ready to meet with Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that a summit agenda is not ready. Lavrov also accused Western nations of preventing peace.
