ROME, August 22. /TASS/. The West should realize that a military victory of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia is implausible and begin negotiations with Russia, an Italian general said in an interview to the Libero Quotidiano newspaper.

"From the military point of view, a victory of Ukraine is unimaginable. We should take this into account and sit at the negotiating table," said Marco Bertolini, who is an Italian general and former commander of the Joint Operations Command and of the "Folgore" Paratroopers Brigade.

"It’s a fact: Kiev’s goals cannot be achieved in their expected form and within the expected timeframe. The counter-offensive proceeds very slowly. <...> Currently, even the West is becoming increasingly skeptical about Ukraine’s military capabilities, and the picture is beginning to change."

Bertolini noted Russia’s "numerical superiority and fire efficiency."

"The fire efficiency of the Russians, especially of their artillery, is overwhelming and looks particularly impressive in the context of the military aid, provided to Ukraine by the West," he added.

In his opinion, "many circles have already realized the improbability" of the scenario in which Ukraine reclaims territories controlled by Russia.

"Evidently, the Russians will not be satisfied by a ceasefire with the perspective of Ukraine joining NATO just a few minutes later and having an opportunity to resume military actions," Bertolini added. "The conflict can be resolved only through negotiations."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the International Affairs Journal that recent multilateral consultations on Ukraine in Jeddah and Copenhagen where Russia was not invited had showed that the West does not intend to agree on anything with Moscow. "Clearly, such an approach does not indicate the West's intention to negotiate anything with Russia," Lavrov emphasized.