Volker: Putin is stalling for time and waiting to see how the war with Iran will end
Volker made this statement in an interview with “Novosti.LIVE”.
Kurt Volker stated that peace in Ukraine could be achieved as early as tomorrow if Vladimir Putin were to make the appropriate decision. In his view, there are no other reasons why the war is still ongoing.
At the same time, Volker does not expect the Russian president to do so in the near future. In his view, Putin is currently benefiting from the situation that has arisen against the backdrop of the war with Iran.
As the former US Special Representative explained, the Kremlin wants to see what happens to oil prices, how the situation on the front line develops, and what policy the United States adopts. That is precisely why, he believes, Putin is prepared to play for time.
Volker suggested that if the war with Iran ends and oil prices can be brought down, the Russian president will once again find himself in a situation where continuing the war becomes economically unviable. According to him, Putin may then begin to consider bringing it to an end. This, in Volker’s view, could happen this year or as early as next year.
Separately, he noted that Russia is unlikely to get involved in a war in the Middle East, as it has been severely depleted by years of full-scale war against Ukraine. According to him, this is understood by both the Russian elite and, likely, Putin himself.
At the same time, Volker pointed out that the end of the war would also create new problems for the Kremlin. He mentioned the return of large numbers of troops, significant costs, and an economy restructured for war that does not function for civilian life. That is why, in his assessment, it is problematic for Putin both to continue the war and to bring it to an end.
That said, Volker did not rule out the risk of a Russian military operation against Estonia or Lithuania in the coming years. In his words, this would not be a large-scale war, but a limited operation involving the capture of a small territory and a swift halt.
He described the aim of such a scenario as an attempt to undermine confidence in NATO, as individual Alliance countries might be reluctant to go to war over a local incident.
Against this backdrop, the Baltic states are stepping up their preparations for potential threats from Russia and Belarus. In particular, structures designed to blow up bridges in the event of war have already appeared on Lithuania’s border with these countries.
As reported by ThePublic, former US Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker stated that no breakthrough should be expected from the new round of talks in Geneva, as Russia is not demonstrating a willingness to end the war and is not feeling sufficient pressure.
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