“The peace formula is the weapons formula,” a Ukrainian security chief has said
FILE PHOTO: Head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Aleksey Danilov © Global Look Press / Ruslan Kaniuka
Ukraine faces the threat of its “carefully woven web of foreign assistance” being slowly unraveled due to waning optimism and growing disappointment among its Western backers, the head of the National Security and Defense Council, Aleksey Danilov, wrote in an opinion piece published on Saturday in the newspaper Ukrainskaya Pravda.
The security chief accused “reputable and influential” Western media outlets of publishing materials suggesting Ukraine’s much-hyped summer counteroffensive is failing, Kiev’s troops are unable to take back territory from Russia, and Moscow’s resources are “limitless.” All such sentiments slow down the Western military assistance to Kiev and stand in the way of Ukraine’s “peace formula,” Danilov added.
He stated that the only solution to the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev, which has been ongoing for more than a year and a half, is a military one. “The peace formula is the weapons formula,” he said in the article.
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Danilov urged the West to combat its own growing skepticism about Ukraine’s prospects in the conflict. Western nations should create their own “agreed formula for … the vision of Ukraine’s victory” and also “enshrine military assistance to Ukraine in … legislation,” he said, adding that election cycles might affect “the stability of the partnership” between Ukraine and the West.
The US and its allies should also “develop and implement a set of measures to neutralize so-called ‘war fatigue’,” Danilov maintained. He also admitted that “a sprint” – i.e. a short conflict – had been “replaced by a long run.”
His words came more than three months into the Ukrainian counteroffensive, which has so far failed to bring about any meaningful changes to the front lines but has seen Kiev’s troops suffer heavy losses in attempts to penetrate Russian defenses.
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Numerous Western media outlets have reported on the growing skepticism among Western officials about the prospects for the operation. The New York Times reported in August that US and UK officials were allegedly “perplexed” by Kiev’s tactics, while the Wall Street Journal said that Washington was set to reduce military aid to Ukraine in 2024.
Moscow has repeatedly expressed its willingness to engage in peace talks as long as its interests are taken into account and the “reality on the ground” is respected.
However, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has imposed a legal prohibition on all discussions with Russia. He also insisted on his own “peace formula” – the one Danilov was referring to – that includes the withdrawal of Russian troops from all territories claimed by Kiev, reparations from Moscow, and a criminal tribunal for the members of Russian government.
