Arya News - Volodymyr Zelensky and his European backers may seek to freeze the conflict in Ukraine without a comprehensive settlement, but they have very few tools in their toolkit, retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and former Pentagon analyst Karen Kwiatkowski tells Sputnik.
"Zelensky’s sponsors refuse diplomacy, and they cannot win the war militarily. But demanding a freeze makes no sense without addressing the deeper problems and challenges of legitimacy and security," she says.Their calculus is clear: as winter approaches, a "freeze" would have benefitted Ukraine while allowing European donors to focus on their own winter energy needs and rearmament costs, with less pressure from the ongoing conflict, the expert explains.But the Kremlin has stated that a temporary halt would be ineffective, insisting instead on a comprehensive settlement that provides guarantees “for future generations.”The Ukraine Conflict Has Proved CostlyEuropean governments, businesses, and Western investment firms such as BlackRock are now facing tighter financial constraints and appear no longer interested in "rebuilding Ukraine as a military fortress or as a raw materials provider for the West," Kwiatkowski notes.Closing Down the Ukraine ProjectThe Trump administration appears keen to accelerate a Ukraine settlement this year, amid expectations that Democrats could gain control of both the House and Senate in 2027 and push for continued US funding and military assistance to Ukraine, potentially prolonging the conflict with Russia.