Russia on Monday dismissed the idea that Ukraine could win the ongoing war, describing such hopes as “delusional,” even as Moscow’s army announced the capture of three more villages along the sprawling front line.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the remarks during a briefing with reporters, asserting that the situation on the battlefield contradicted Western optimism about Ukraine’s chances. “The Europeans believe that Ukraine can win the war and secure its interests through military means,” he said. “This is the deepest delusion indulged in by the Kyiv regime. The situation on the front indicates the opposite.”
Nearly four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, both armies remain deeply entrenched, with Moscow attempting to leverage its manpower and superior equipment to push forward. However, its advances have come slowly and at high cost.
According to Russia’s defence ministry, its forces have taken control of the villages of Slodkie and Nove in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, as well as Gnativka in the Donetsk region—areas that have seen some of the most intense fighting in recent months.
Peskov reiterated that Moscow’s military campaign would continue until Russia achieves all the goals it set at the outset of the invasion. “The war will only end when Russia achieves the objectives it set at the beginning,” he said, underscoring the Kremlin’s long-standing stance.
Russia has repeatedly justified its invasion by claiming it seeks to protect Russian-speaking communities in eastern Ukraine, prevent NATO’s expansion toward its borders, and eliminate what it calls “neo-Nazis” from power in Kyiv. Both Ukraine and its Western allies have categorically rejected those claims, denouncing them as baseless pretexts for an illegal war of aggression.
Western nations argue that Moscow’s campaign—which has caused tens of thousands of deaths and triggered Europe’s largest conflict since World War II—represents an imperial-style land grab aimed at reasserting Russia’s influence over its former territories.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts led by US President Donald Trump to negotiate a peace deal have stalled, as Moscow continues to reject any proposal that includes a ceasefire without Ukraine’s full withdrawal from the Donbas region. Russian officials have also demanded that Kyiv renounce Western military aid—conditions Ukraine has dismissed as unacceptable.
Kyiv maintains that agreeing to such terms would amount to surrender and would leave the country vulnerable to future Russian aggression. Despite heavy losses and mounting exhaustion, Ukrainian forces continue to hold key defensive positions across the eastern and southern fronts.
Peskov concluded that Russia would not halt its operations, asserting that Moscow currently “has the initiative on the front and will not stop.”
What You Should Know
Nearly four years after Russia’s invasion began, the war remains locked in a bloody stalemate with no political solution in sight.
Moscow insists it will fight until its objectives are achieved, while Kyiv refuses to concede territory or abandon Western support.
As casualties rise and diplomatic channels freeze, the conflict continues to reshape Europe’s security and humanitarian landscape.
