With the Luhansk region under Russian control, President Putin may focus on seizing all of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine before offering a cease-fire, according to a defense policy analyst.
A cease-fire may be possible if only to give Putin an opportunity to fortify the gains he has made.
After several weeks of fighting, the Russian and Ukrainian armies were able to liberate the Luhansk province. A large amount of infrastructure, including residential buildings, has been demolished. There have been many deaths.
Ukrainian servicemen riding a tank toward the Siversk front line in Donetsk on July 4, 2022. Russian forces are now focused on capturing the Donetsk region of the Donbas, with the province coming under heavy shelling on Sunday, according to local officials.Russian forces are trying to capture the neighboring region of the Donbas, with the province coming under heavy shelling on Sunday.
Russia seems to be able to achieve its limited objectives in the Donbas despite the campaign not going Moscow's way. Zelenskyy would be in a tough spot if Putin offered a cease-fire.
He said there was no reason to think that acceptance of a Russian cease-fire would lead to peace.
Zelenskyy raises the risk of losing some of the Western support he depends on if he doesn't accept a cease-fire.
Zelenskyy's acceptance of a cease-fire depends on how much military and financial support he gets from the west.
He said there would be continued Western support for the country.
The November elections in the United States, which are the largest contributor of military and financial aid to Ukraine, will have a bearing on American support for the country.
There is a lot of war fatigue in America but Americans have a lot of resources they can commit for decades.