Recent statements by Russian officials have signaled a willingness to engage in a long-term war against Ukraine. Vladimir Medinsky, a member of the Russian delegation at the Istanbul negotiations, compared the ongoing conflict to historical wars that lasted for decades, implying the possibility of an indefinite confrontation, reports the Baltimore Chronicle, citing ТСН.ua.
Military expert Ihor Romanenko views such declarations as a form of psychological pressure. According to him, no war in history has lasted forever, and such threats are meant to spark panic and force Ukraine to concede territory.
Romanenko also emphasized that the Kremlin’s real objective is to seize control over four Ukrainian regions, along with their resources and population, to fuel further military operations. He noted that the current frontline situation is significantly different from the early days of the full-scale invasion and that Ukraine retains sufficient capacity to defend itself.
The rhetoric of a “forever war” is seen as an attempt by the Kremlin to manipulate public opinion in both Ukraine and the West, hoping to coerce compromises through the fear of a prolonged conflict.
Earlier we wrote that Russia threatened to invade Kharkiv and Sumy during Istanbul talks.