Putin won't end the war before November 2024, predicts Department of State
The Department of State maintains that Vladimir Putin won't consider peace with Ukraine until the outcome of the next US presidential race is decided. Consequently, the situation on the Moscow-Kiev battlefield could remain unchanged until November of next year, irrespective of wins or losses.
One possibility is that a victory for former President Donald Trump could disrupt Western support for Kiev. Trump, who is seeking re-election in 2024 and is the primary Republican Party candidate for the presidential nomination, has been vocal in his criticism of the US's support for Kiev.
As Reuters noted following the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, the alliance reaffirmed its support for Ukraine. Several officials, wishing to remain anonymous, confirmed that a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev in the coming year seems unlikely.
The agency further confirms that Putin might refrain from making peace or engaging in negotiations until after the US elections. A mid-November Ipsos poll, commissioned by Reuters, suggests a close race between Trump and current US President Joe Biden.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Biden's Democratic administration has been offering considerable military assistance to Kiev. However, this is met with resistance from the Republican-led House of Representatives, which opposes financing Ukraine and criticizes any expenditure related to the war with Russia.
Putin likely to prolong war with Ukraine beyond 2024 elections
Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky directly addressed Donald Trump, inviting him to visit the war-scarred country. This move was in response to Trump's assertion that, had he been in office, Putin would not have initiated aggression, and the war would not have begun. Trump added that, if re-elected, he could bring the war to an end within a day.
The Ukrainian leader expressed his desire for nominee Trump to witness the extent of the conflict personally. He emphasized his skepticism regarding the ex-US President's optimism on this issue.
"Trump suggested he could resolve and cease the war in roughly 24 hours. He's welcome to try. If he comes here, I will spend 24 minutes explaining to him the complexity of this war," Zelensky stated during an NBC interview.
