Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba believes that if the fighting in Ukraine is frozen now, Russia will use this pause to prepare for a more brutal attack, including on NATO member states. He expressed these thoughts in his article for Foreign Affairs.
The Foreign Minister noted that some analysts now believe that freezing the war by establishing a ceasefire is a realistic option. However, he said, instead of ending the war, the ceasefire would simply suspend hostilities until Russia is ready to make another push deeper into the country.
Kuleba believes that "freezing the war" would allow the Russians to strengthen their positions with concrete and minefields, making it almost impossible to expel them in the future.
Russia's budget for the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine for 2024 in the amount of 3.2 trillion Russian rubles (approximately $35 billion) is a clear indication of Moscow's plan to "dig in for a long time and suppress resistance to the Russian occupation authorities," he emphasized.
"If the front line were frozen now, there is no reason to believe that Russia would not use this respite to plan a more brutal attack in a few years, potentially involving not only Ukraine but also neighboring countries and even NATO members," Kuleba said.
For those who do not believe that Russia can attack NATO countries, the Foreign Minister reminded them of the beginning of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"Anyone who believes that Russia will not attack NATO countries after celebrating success in Ukraine should remember how unbelievable the large-scale invasion of Ukraine seemed just two years ago," he added.
