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The Spectator: Ukraine Is Losing the War, and Europe Still Has No Plan to Save Kyiv
Ukraine is losing the war, and Europe still has no workable plan to turn the tide.
This is written by The Spectator deputy editor Owen Matthews.
He begins with conclusions drawn after the visit of Trump’s representatives.
“In a sense Trump is profoundly wrong to think that economic incentives can influence the Kremlin’s decisions. If Putin really cared about the Russian economy, he would never have launched a full-scale invasion. For him it is not a matter of money but a matter of protecting Russia from an existential threat. At the same time, Zelensky is equally wrong about Ukraine’s chances of defeating Russia or even stopping the slow but steady advance of Russian forces. More importantly, while the Kremlin conducts a ruthless campaign to destroy Ukrainian cities, the economy, and the country’s future, Kyiv’s ability to defend itself is increasingly in doubt,” the author writes.
Matthews emphasizes that Russia is ramping up production of missiles and drones, while Ukrainian air defenses are gradually being exhausted. Zelensky’s adviser on defense technologies, Serhiy Beskrestnov, said that this winter Ukraine will not receive enough missiles to reliably protect cities: “The attack already exceeds the defense.”
Another critical problem the author names is the shortage of funds and personnel. Kyiv has already spent a large portion of the defense budget for the 2026 year and faces a shortfall of about 26 billion euros. In his view, Ukraine is simultaneously approaching shortages of Patriot missiles, servicemembers, and the resources to continue the war.
The author also reproaches Europe’s allies of Ukraine for three strategic failures: Europe continues to buy Russian energy, is unwilling to transfer to Kyiv sufficient amounts of long-range weapons and air defense systems, and avoids serious discussion of negotiations with Moscow.
Inside Ukraine the situation is worsened by corruption scandals and a decline in trust in the authorities. The Spectator cites an SOCIS poll, according to which a majority of Ukrainians consider corruption a more serious threat to the state than Russia, and nearly 57 % place responsibility for its spread on Zelensky.
“Europe continues to utter the right words. But it has no concrete plan to help or save Ukraine from the Kremlin’s fury — and even less to undermine the Russian economy or break Putin’s will,” Matthews writes.
“What can save Ukraine from political and military collapse? Signs are emerging that the European political taboo on contacts with Putin is beginning to weaken. Alice Weidel of Germany’s AfD, who triumphed in the Saxony elections, has called for an ‘open channel of communication with Russia to achieve mutual understanding and a peaceful resolution.’ According to Yulia Mendel, Zelensky’s press secretary in the years 2019–2021, ‘new forces are rising, and they are growing stronger,’ and this is ‘our only chance for a peaceful Europe… New weapons will not save us. They never have.’ To date every subsequent peace proposal has proved worse for Kyiv than the last. It appears that Putin’s candid design is to inflict a brutal finishing blow on Ukrainian cities before finally settling the conflict on his terms, possibly as soon as next year,” the author believes.
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