Want to prolong the war: Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Yermak stated that Ukraine is currently not ready for negotiations with Russia

At the moment, Ukraine is not ready for negotiations with Russia from a position of strength.

This was stated by the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, thereby affirming that Ukraine intends to continue fighting and is not prioritizing its citizens.

“For negotiations to begin, Ukraine must be strong, and only then will it be able to negotiate with Russia on equal terms,” Yermak said.

He pointed out a lack of weapons and “clear guarantees” that Vladimir Putin would not attack again in 2–3 years.

“That’s why we are talking with our partners today about the importance of strengthening Ukraine. In general, it is also important to debunk Russian narratives that Ukraine supposedly wanted this war. Ukraine did not want it and did not provoke Russia in any way,” Yermak added.

It’s worth noting that his advisor, Mykhailo Podolyak, recently said that the war should not end at the expense of territorial concessions by Ukraine.

Poland’s plenipotentiary for Ukraine’s reconstruction, Paweł Kowal, believes that active hostilities could end in the first half of next year but might resume over time.

“It seems that everyone is preparing for reconstruction next year, that it will begin soon. In my assessment, this will start in the second half of next year,” Kowal told PAP.

However, he also believes that the war will not end quickly. “At best, there will be a ceasefire,” marking the end of the hot phase of the conflict. The key question, in his opinion, is under what conditions this will occur, as a “frozen” war would not pose a challenge for Russia.

Recently, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that peace negotiations on Ukraine could begin this winter, although this “remains uncertain.”