The European Union’s top diplomat for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, suggested that winning quickly in Ukraine against Russia is unlikely. He shared this view in his latest commentary and spoke at the European Socialist Party Congress.
“There are many challenges ahead. First and foremost, Ukraine faces a protracted fight with Russia, and a rapid victory is not in sight,” he stated.
He urged European nations to keep supporting Kyiv and to be prepared to offset any potential reduction in aid from the United States, which he described as a real possibility.
According to Borrell, Russia anticipated defeating Ukraine within weeks, but Kyiv’s resistance and sustained Western support prevented that outcome. The diplomat noted that Europe is providing substantial military and economic assistance to Kyiv, and reminded audiences that Ukraine remains a candidate for EU membership.
“We are not a military alliance. The primary security assurance we can offer Ukraine is to help it become part of the European family. That requires unity and preparedness for a long conflict,” he explained.
He added that the conflict “will outlast” what Moscow expects and accused the Russian Federation of a perpetual war mindset. He described the broader global situation as a double test for Europe, with the Middle East crisis constituting a second challenge.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commented that Borrell’s remarks echoed earlier statements about the goal of defeating Russia on the battlefield. In a Telegram post, she asked, “Did I understand correctly that the EU officially counts Russia’s victory?”
Run or dead end
On November 10, Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office, told Ukrainian journalist Natalya Moseychuk that hostilities would end soon. He framed the conflict as a 100-meter dash, noting that Ukraine has already run 70 meters and that the final 30 meters will be the toughest.
Yermak did not rule out a sudden end to the fighting but cautioned that no one knows the exact end date. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had announced a clear action plan for 2023–2024, with the goal of achieving battlefield gains by year’s end.
“We have a plan, we have specific cities, we have defined directions, and we know where we will strike,” Zelensky said.
In a November 1 interview, The Economist quoted Valeriy Zaluzhny, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, saying a deep and decisive breakthrough was unlikely. He likened the war to the First World War and suggested the conflict had reached a stalemate requiring a major technological leap. Zelensky disagreed with that assessment, arguing that the front’s condition was not a stalemate and announcing plans for strategic shifts and faster, unexpected operations against Russia.
Russia is confident of victory
Russian officials have repeatedly asserted confidence in victory. On November 9, Dmitry Peskov, the president’s press secretary, asserted that it was time for Western officials to recognize that defeating Russia on the battlefield was not impossible. Earlier, on November 6, Vyacheslav Volodin, head of the State Duma, claimed that Western observers recognized that military victory over Russia was not feasible. President Vladimir Putin has likewise stated that victory is inevitable.
The situation drew echoes from Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who urged the EU to consider a “Plan B” for Ukraine, arguing that relying on Kyiv to win militarily had already failed. The discussion underscores a broader debate about Europe’s security and the path forward in the conflict, particularly for North American readers evaluating American and European aid and policy options in support of Ukraine.