“This is more of an observation, but in my view a very encouraging one: I see no other outcome of this war than Ukraine remaining an independent, sovereign, prosperous European democracy. The only question is how long it will take and how much suffering will have to be endured before reaching the final state”, - said former U.S. special representative to Ukraine Kurt Volker in an interview with Ukrinform published on February 15. He gave the interview at the Munich Security Conference.
According to Volker, the event should be thinking not about the risks of escalation with russia or a final agreement, but about how to accelerate the path to a stable ceasefire, preserving Ukraine’s independence, and helping it deter future attacks.
“I don’t think putin will ever agree to a full-fledged peace agreement”, - Volker noted.
When asked whether the U.S. administration would increase pressure on russia through sanctions or additional military support for Ukraine, Volker replied: “I can only say that this needs to be done. I cannot predict what President Donald Trump will do, but pressure on russia is the single factor that stands between him and achieving his goal — ending the war”.