The UK Ministry of Defence has dropped a bombshell explanation about why Vladimir Putin is eager for Ukraine to concede large portions of its unoccupied territories to wrap up the ongoing war.
In a fresh intelligence report, the MoD warned that Russia could find itself engaged in fighting for over four more years, and the human cost would be staggering — with estimates reaching nearly two million casualties.
This alarming assessment came during a summit where Putin laid out his peace strategy to Donald Trump in Alaska.
Reuters reported that the proposed arrangement would require Ukraine to completely retreat from the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, in exchange for a Russian commitment to halt advancements in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
However, the MoD noted: “Considering the pace of Russia’s incremental successes on the battlefield so far in 2025, we estimate it will take Russian forces about 4.4 years to secure total control over the territories of the four Ukrainian oblasts.”
Additionally, they added: “Continuing the conflict for another 4.4 years, according to casualty rates from the Ukrainian general staff, would lead to around 1,930,000 more plus Russian casualties (both killed and injured).”
“This number adds to the approximately 1,060,000 casualties Russia has already likely reported since it began its large-scale invasion in 2022, of which about 250,000 are presumed dead or missing.”
After his discussions with Putin, Trump expressed to Fox News that he believes they are “fairly close to reaching a deal. Ukraine needs to give its consent. They might just refuse.”
In contrast, after meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy remarked: “Our constitution prohibits us from surrendering any part of our territory or trading land.”
He stressed that any negotiation about such critical issues would require a trilateral summit including himself, Putin, and Trump.
Von der Leyen also reinforced that “borders cannot be altered by force.”
