I commanded Ukraine’s armed forces

From that moment on, the enemy’s strategy turned into a strategy of attrition. Russia tried to focus on building strong defensive lines in 2023, which, on the one hand, made sense, serving to repel our attack, but on the other hand, distracted our attention from the main goal.

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While Ukraine was backing down, Russia was implementing a war economy, spreading propaganda, changing legislation and creating strategic reserves; On the other hand, it was dragging us into a new attritional phase of the conflict for which we were not ready, just like in 2022.

Events in 2024 and 2025 demonstrate the absolute effectiveness of such a strategy in Russia’s efforts to achieve its political goal, despite minor successes on the front.

However, a war of attrition is being waged on both the political and economic fronts. Military actions play an important role in achieving political goals, but they are not the final stage.

For example, let’s assume that Russia completely occupied the Donetsk region. The war will not end because the political goal will not be achieved. Russia is simultaneously trying to create conditions that will ensure the collapse of Ukraine on military, economic and political fronts.

In the absence of a unified vision of a new security architecture on the European continent, without security guarantees and real financial programs, the war with Russia risks turning into a broader war for the takeover of Eastern Europe.

War does not always end with the victory of one side and the defeat of the other. We Ukrainians strive for complete victory, but we cannot reject the option of a long-term end to the war.

Peace provides a chance for political change, deep reforms, full recovery, economic growth, and the return of citizens, even in anticipation of the next war.

It is even possible to talk about the beginning of the formation of a safe, protected state thanks to innovation and technology; strengthening the foundations of justice through the fight against corruption and the creation of an honest court system; and ensuring economic development, including international economic recovery programmes.

But all this is impossible without effective security guarantees.

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Such security guarantees could include: Ukraine’s accession to NATO, the deployment of nuclear weapons on Ukrainian territory, or the deployment of a large allied military contingent capable of countering Russia.

However, this issue is not talked about today and therefore the war will probably continue. Not only in the military field, but also in the political and economic sphere. Russia may change the means and forms of its aggression, but they will all serve the same purpose.

The main political goal for us in this situation should be to deprive Russia of the opportunity to attack Ukraine in the foreseeable future.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi was Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces from July 2021 to February 2024.

Telegraph, London