Russia has no real interest in ending war soon, Polish General says
Russia is playing a game with all parties, including the United States, by pretending it seeks to end the war. In reality, Moscow is not demonstrating genuine readiness for peace and is preparing for another offensive in Ukraine.
This opinion was expressed in an interview with Ukrinform by Polish expert and former commander of the rocket forces and artillery of the Polish Armed Forces, Jarosław Kraszewski.
“We must stop speculating about the war ending in a day, a month, or a year. Instead, everything possible must be done to ensure that it truly ends as soon as possible. This winter has been another serious test for Ukraine. It seems that Putin had been waiting for such a harsh winter for years, hoping to exhaust the Ukrainian people. Russia is playing a game with everyone, including the Americans, as can be seen from the course of the negotiations. We should have no illusions that Moscow genuinely wants the war to end quickly,” the general said.
According to him, Russia expects major concessions from Ukraine, including giving up the Donbas, Crimea, and other territories. However, such concessions would only lay the groundwork for future aggression.
Kraszewski stressed that the war has reached “the culmination of what can be called a drone war” and Ukraine critically needs unmanned aerial vehicles on the frontline, as well as artillery shells and air defense systems.
“The war has become more technological. Today, unmanned systems play a decisive role. To a large extent, this is driven by economic factors. An FPV drone costs significantly less than a 155 mm artillery shell. For just a few hundred dollars, a drone can be purchased that, in the hands of a well-trained operator, can accurately strike a dugout, combat vehicle, or command post,” he explained.
While artillery shells carry a more powerful charge and affect a larger area, mass use of relatively inexpensive drones – including swarm tactics – can produce comparable or even greater results, he added.
“A swarm of drones is cheaper than a single ATACMS missile and at the same time increases the chances of penetrating air defenses, even if some of the UAVs are shot down,” the expert noted.
According to Kraszewski, the widespread use of FPV drones by both sides signals a new phase of the war with a different logic of combat operations.
The general said the current stage of fighting in many ways resembles World War I: positional warfare and slow advances of only hundreds of meters or one to two kilometers, without major strategic breakthroughs.
“The situation may change with the arrival of spring, when soil conditions allow heavier equipment to be used more actively. Ukraine must be prepared for such a scenario. Russia is likely using the winter period to accumulate reserves and prepare new forces in order to intensify offensive operations in the spring,” Kraszewski said.
According to him, it is crucial for the Kremlin to achieve at least some visible military success, which is why Russia has not yet demonstrated real readiness to end the war under conditions that would involve a full cessation of hostilities.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, Kraszewski also warned that Russia could stage a provocation against a NATO member state in Eastern Europe in the coming months, possibly with casualties, in order to distract attention from preparations for a new offensive in Ukraine.