Ukraine’s military chief warns that Putin is using peace talks as cover to intensify Russia’s offensive, with no signs Moscow plans to slow its war effort, reports Deborah Haynes of Sky News. Russia’s continued mobilization and growing weapons production suggest preparations for a longer or wider conflict. The outcome of the war will depend on any future peace deal, but a fair settlement would require Europe to shift to a true wartime footing—something many leaders have yet to face. A worst-case scenario could see Ukraine forced into concessions that encourage future Russian aggression, especially as the US commitment to defending Europe becomes less certain. Haynes writes:

Sky’s Deborah Haynes outlines several possible scenarios as peace talks over Ukraine show little sign of progress – including the need for Kyiv’s European allies to prepare for the genuine possibility of conflict with Russia.

With more than a thousand troops being killed or wounded every day, there’s no sign that Donald Trump’s push to end Russia’s war in Ukraine is reducing the battles on the ground.

Quite the opposite.

Ukraine’s military chief says Vladimir Putin is instead using the US president’s focus on peace negotiations as “cover” while Russian soldiers attempt to seize more land. […]

Deliberately choosing not to dial defence down once the battles cease means a nation will continue to grow its armed forces and weapons stockpiles – a sure sign that it has no intention of being peaceful and is merely having a pause before going on the attack again.

The absence of any preparations by Moscow to slow the tempo of its military operations in Ukraine – where it has more than 710,000 troops deployed along a 780-mile frontline – is perhaps an indicator that Putin is anticipating more not less war. […]

But that is meaningless jargon for most of the public. Being ready for war is about so much more than what the professional armed forces can do.

Armies fight battles. Countries fight wars.

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