Russia Can't Dictate Terms In Ukraine Due To Failure To Achieve Strategic Results

Putin's inability to impose his will in nascent ceasefire negotiations comes down to one inconvenient fact: his military, despite greater troop strength and weapons stockpiles, has not been able to make strategically meaningful gains, let alone deliver a knock-out blow. 

None of the advances which Russian forces have recently achieved or are pursuing are considered critical to either Russia - or to Ukraine. Furthermore, most knowledgeable observers believe that even if Russia were to achieve a surprise advantage, they are incapable of turning it into a breakthrough because of insufficient troops and armor. As a result, Ukraine has maintained support among its European allies and appears incapable of giving the current, Putin-inclined, US administration, the evidence it needs to openly throw its support to the Kremlin. JL  

Espreso Global reports:

Russia's lack of strategic results mean it cannot dictate terms to Ukraine. "Over the past year and a half, nothing has changed. Russia hasn’t achieved any battlefield result that would allow it to dictate terms to Ukraine. Even in Kursk, where the Russians truly expected to create a cauldron (an encirclement of Ukrainian troops) they haven’t achieved such a result. An increase in personnel and weapons from stockpiles has not brought tangible results for Russia on the battlefield. Their current advances (in Kursk and parts of Donbas) are not strategically critical."

Defense Express military expert Ivan Kyrychevskyi explaines that despite Russia's formation of new divisions and an increase in military equipment on the frontlines, it lacks strategic results to dictate terms to Ukraine

He shared his opinions on Espreso TV.

"It's a little bit straightforward to talk about threats on the frontline now. The fact is that the Russians still exist and pose a threat to Ukraine. As for the strategic results over the past year and a half, nothing has changed. To paraphrase a Russian classic, I’d say, wake me up in a hundred years and I’ll say that Russia hasn’t achieved any battlefield result that would allow it to dictate terms to Ukraine. If we take the Kursk sector, the Russians truly expected to create a cauldron there, inflict a heavy psychological defeat on our troops, and collapse the morale of our army across the front. And seemingly based on this, they hoped they could dictate terms to us, including recognizing the annexation of occupied territories and handing over what they want. Today, even in Kursk, the Russians haven’t achieved such a result," explained Kyrychevskyi.

The expert emphasized that the increase in personnel and weapons from stockpiles has not brought tangible results for Russia on the battlefield. Their current advance is not strategically critical.

 

"The same thing is happening in eastern Ukraine. In 2024, the Russians managed to form about seven new divisions, while we were just focused on improving the management system of our forces. All these divisions were sent to the east. However, based on the fact that the Russians were forming new divisions, getting new weapons, forming new armies, it is not yet possible to say that they have advanced by one village in a few weeks and that this is a threat," he added.