Russia Ukraine war, page-217665

A senior Ukrainian intelligence official has spoken out on the inevitability of talks with Russia to end their ongoing conflict, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's previous refusal to engage in negotiations with the Kremlin.

In an interview published by The Economist magazine on Thursday, Major-General Vadym Skibitsky, deputy chief of Ukraine's HUR military intelligence directorate, acknowledged the necessity of eventual dialogue with Russia to conclude the more than two-year-old war.

Skibitsky explained that wars typically culminate in treaties and that meaningful negotiations would likely commence in the second half of 2025 at the earliest.

"General Skibitsky says he does not see a way for Ukraine to win the war on the battlefield alone. Even if it were able to push Russian forces back to the borders - an increasingly distant prospect - it wouldn't end the war," the magazine wrote.

"Such wars can only end with treaties, he says. Right now, both sides are jockeying for the 'the most favourable position' ahead of potential talks. But meaningful negotiations can begin only in the second half of 2025 at the earliest, he guesses."