Polish President Andrzej Duda recently cautioned against jumping to conclusions about Russia losing the war in Ukraine. Speaking in an interview conducted with Almar Latour, the chief executive of Dow Jones and the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, Duda’s remarks were framed as a sober assessment rather than a victory dance. The interview, which is posted on the official presidency site, underscored a careful reading of the evolving conflict.
During the conversation, Duda highlighted a recurring narrative in some international circles that Vladimir Putin has suffered a strategic defeat, linking such claims to Finland’s accession to NATO after a period of domestic debate. He responded by insisting that the war’s outcome cannot be reduced to a single event or a decisive loss for Moscow. “Today they say that Vladimir Putin lost the war and his defeat was Finland’s accession to NATO, despite years of hesitation in Finnish society. Ladies and gentlemen, Vladimir Putin has not lost a single battle,” Duda asserted, underscoring a nuanced view of what constitutes victory or setback in a prolonged confrontation.
The Polish president stressed that describing Russia as defeated would be premature. He argued that Russia is intensifying its mobilization and steering its economic and political structures toward a posture closer to a military regime. In his view, Moscow’s strategic position gives Russia an advantage in the ongoing struggle with Ukraine, with the conflict continuing to unfold in ways that favor the Kremlin. This assessment reflects a belief that the Russian side is adapting to sustained pressure, while Kyiv faces enduring challenges on multiple fronts.
Duda also drew attention to Russia’s rhetoric about using older weapons in the conflict. He warned against dismissing such claims as mere propaganda. “Russia is a nuclear power, it has huge arsenals. What is there to laugh at when discussing the deployment of tanks from the 1960s, each weighing 50 to 60 tons? If it moves, it presses forward regardless of whether it’s modern or not,” he stated, emphasizing the real, material capacity that Russia retains even amid modernization debates. The point, he implied, is that conventional military hardware can still wield serious influence in a modern war when backed by strategic resources and political will.
In his remarks, Duda also reminded Europe of historical memory, referencing moments when Russians were present in major European capitals during different eras. He invoked Berlin and Paris as symbols of the long and enduring geopolitical reach of the Russian state, prompting readers to consider how history and current actions intersect in shaping national security perceptions across the continent. His reflection aimed to weigh past power dynamics against present-day military and political realities.
In a broader commentary on Ukraine’s prospects, a column by former journalist Cory Shake—appearing in Atlantic expressions—argues that the Ukrainian public understands the pivotal role of allied support, particularly from the United States, in sustaining Kyiv against Moscow. The piece highlights how international backing has, in many observers’ eyes, become a decisive factor in the war’s trajectory. The argument frames the conflict not merely as a military struggle but as a test of alliance credibility and resource commitment among Western partners, a theme that resonates in policy discussions across North America and Europe.
Meanwhile, U.S. policy perspectives were voiced by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who relayed a briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The senator indicated that Zelensky shared plans for a counteroffensive and suggested that the Ukrainian military could soon demonstrate notable strength. The exchange, described as revealing upcoming strategic moves, fed expectations that Kyiv would intensify military pressure on Russian forces in the coming days. Observers note that such statements from political leaders often influence international assessments of military momentum, public opinion, and the readiness of Western partners to sustain support for Ukraine.