Putin will end war after admitting he can't win, Polish FM says
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told CNN that Russian President Vladimir Putin will end his war on Ukraine once he acknowledges his slim chances of victory — a realisation that, he said, would require further pressure on Russia's economy.
During the interview aired on Sunday, Poland's top diplomat addressed questions about Washington's wavering stance on the war in Ukraine and possible scenarios for ending the three-and-a-half-years of fighting.
"Putin will only stop this war when he thinks he can't win, and for him to come to that conclusion, there needs to be more pressure on the Russian economy and more help for the Ukrainians," the minister said. "The war will likely end the way World War I ended. One side or another will run out of resources to carry on," he added later at the interview.
According to Sikorski, Russia's vast territory does not play out in its favour, as the Kremlin will struggle to safeguard the entire country with air-defence systems, including all critical facilities.
"Ukraine has already attacked something like half of the Russian refineries, which means that it's more difficult for the war machine to continue to attack Ukraine, and (American - PAP) president (Donald - PAP) Trump famously likes backing the winner," the official assessed.
The minister mentioned Washington's plans to purchase Kyiv-made drones in terms of the "Drone Deal" agreement, adding that moves like this are "a testimony to Ukraine's achievement" during the invasion it endures. Last week, the deal was announced by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and will become the opposite of the "Mega Deal," under which Kyiv will reportedly buy American weapons worth tens of billions of dollars.
The Russian drone incursion into Poland in mid-September was also discussed during the interview. Sikorski said that Warsaw views such actions as "part of the spectrum of hybrid war," listing Moscow's long-running tactics such as information warfare, arson attacks, pushing migrants across the Belarusian-Polish border, and more.
"Of course, we have the right to defend our airspace, the security of our citizens and their property," Sikorski said.
The move, which Poland views as a deliberate Moscow-staged provocation, was a test of "our air-defence" capabilities, the resilience of the Polish society and the unity of the government and the allies, the minister added. (PAP)
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