War upcoming year status: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed optimism on Wednesday that his country will experience “peacetime” in 2019, while his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin expressed concern that the conflict may continue until 2020.
Zelenskyy, who was voted the most powerful person in Europe at the annual POLITICO 28 ranking gala, said in a prerecorded video that he believes Ukrainians will be the most influential next year as well, but already in peacetime.
While expressing gratitude to “all our friends in Europe who help us preserve stability” and “help millions survive through this horrible moment,” he praised the Ukrainian armed forces for “protecting us all on their battlefields.”
After making a rare allusion to the probable duration of the conflict, Putin stated earlier on Wednesday that he expected the “special military operation” to be “a protracted process.” This is Moscow’s favoured euphemism for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to Reuters, Putin also warned that nuclear warZelenskyy predicts ‘peacetime’ war upcoming year as Putin warns war upcoming year was a growing possibility, but he added, “We haven’t gone nuts, we recognise what nuclear weapons are.”
Unlike any other nuclear power, we have these capabilities in their most refined and cutting-edge form. But we won’t be parading this around the globe like a razor,” he said.
Despite a series of military defeats in recent weeks, including the retaking of Kherson, which the Russian army had controlled since late February, Putin has vowed not to call up any more reserve forces.
After a request from the Russian president in September and October, around 300,000 reservists in the Russian armed forces were called to active duty.
According to a top Ukrainian official, between 10,000 and 13,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Russia’s invasion began on February 24.
There were “far over” one hundred thousand Russian casualties or wounds reported by U.S. intelligence in November.
