Netherlands Defense Minister assesses possibility of Ukraine war ending by 2025
Photo: Ruben Brekelmans, Minister of Defense of the Netherlands (Getty Images)
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans considers it unlikely that Russia's war against Ukraine will end by 2025. The situation on the battlefield remains complex, according to Brekelmans.
"I don't think the war will end this year, I don't think it will end next year either. Of course, we need to provide as much military support to Ukraine as possible, but we need to be realistic because the situation on the battlefield is very complex," Brekelmans said.
He noted that Western countries need to do more, but at the same time, expectations should not be too high.
"Sometimes people think that the Russian invasion was a sprint that turned into a marathon, but in reality, it’s a 42 km sprint, so we must continue to support Ukraine," the Minister added.
Brekelmans also emphasized that Ukraine’s allies need to focus on the long term and ensure that European citizens are equally committed to supporting Ukraine and have realistic expectations.
Background
Ukrainian officials have expressed doubts that the war with Russia will end by 2025.
In particular, Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko told RBC-Ukraine that Ukraine will need additional funding from allies next year as the war will not stop.
Meanwhile, Head of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov stated that Russia aims to conclude the war in Ukraine by 2026.
