MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. A retired French army general believes Russia will force Ukraine into an unconditional peace by securing a decisive victory on the battlefield by next Christmas.
"I think we will have peace by Christmas, but that peace will be achieved through the use of military force on the battlefield and by compelling Ukraine to unconditionally accept" a post-conflict peace agreement, the terms of which would be dictated by Russia, Dominique Delawarde told TASS.
Furthermore, the French military expert confidently stated that Russia will continue its operations not only until it fully liberates the four federal regions but may even advance as far as Odessa. For that city is "originally Russian," and the liberation of Odessa would provide Russia a direct route to Transnistria, cutting Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea by bringing critical maritime zones under its control, he explained.
Retaking Odessa would enable Russia "to neutralize Ukraine for a prolonged period," Delawarde asserted. Given these results, "Ukraine will be reduced to a smaller population, which would therefore pose minimal risk to Russia in the future," he argued.
Delawarde does not foresee a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in the short term, as he believes the situation will be settled through military means. In his view, Russia initiated the special military operation with the sole aim of safeguarding its territory and people, by halting NATO’s expansion eastward, which he claims has continued for the last three decades.