“Capturing the remaining part of the Donetsk oblast is not a realistic possibility for the russians for at least another year”, - a senior NATO official told journalists ahead of the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, asking for anonymity, as reported by the BBC’s Telegram channel.
NATO bases this forecast on the current pace of russian troop advancement — for example, in Pokrovsk, which russia now controls at 95% according to NATO estimates, the russian army has been moving forward by an average of about 120 meters per day since July.
Putin has already said that the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the part of the Donetsk oblast still controlled by Ukraine is a key condition for russia in any peace agreement. He also added that russia is ready to achieve this goal militarily.
Financially, russia is feeling the strain of the war, NATO believes, but is likely still able to fund it at least until 2027.
“I see no signs that putin is seriously interested in a peace process or ready to make any concessions that could lead to peace in Ukraine. I hope I’m wrong”, - said the senior NATO official.
Another high-ranking interlocutor in the North Atlantic Alliance said that he also sees no evidence that russia is taking peace negotiations seriously.
As reported, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the key issue in the russian-Ukrainian war is the territorial one. According to him, Ukraine and russia are literally fighting over “20% of the Donetsk oblast” that moscow has not yet occupied.