Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said in an interview with the German publication Die Welt that the Russian Federation must be forced to negotiate through a comprehensive approach, since it is not ready to conduct real negotiations based on international law. Podoliak noted that Ukraine's plan includes four main elements: political, military, economic and diplomatic coercion.
Podoliak stressed that political coercion should send a clear signal that each country has the right to choose its own path and alliances. However, the most discussed aspect is military coercion, which involves transferring the war to Russian territory. According to the adviser, strikes on Russian regions such as the Kursk region, as well as other border and deep Russian territories, have not only military significance, but also a profound social impact on the Russian population.
Military operations on Russian territory are aimed at destroying key infrastructure: warehouses, factories, logistics centers. This intensifies economic coercion, as Russia is already facing a serious shortage of ammunition and weapons. Podoliak emphasizes that the depletion of Russian resources is obvious, especially since the Kremlin is forced to turn to countries such as North Korea and Iran for help.
The adviser also stressed the importance of diplomatic coercion. He pointed out that Russia is spending huge amounts of money on the war, which affects its economy and resources. At the same time, further military strikes deep into Russian territory could cause a change in sentiment among Russians, which would have serious consequences for the stability of the Kremlin. According to Podoliak, such attacks could provoke social protests, which would weaken Putin's power.
One of the key aspects of Ukraine's strategy is to use Western long-range weapons to strike key military targets on Russian territory. Podoliak argues that this would significantly accelerate the war and disrupt Russian military activity. Strikes on critical infrastructure, such as transportation hubs, could seriously affect Russia's combat capabilities and force it to negotiate.
