In Rome, a clear opinion has formed regarding the outcome of four years of conflict in Eastern Europe. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, in his recent statement, expressed confidence that Ukraine has already achieved its main strategic victory, despite ongoing hostilities. According to the Italian politician, the key factor in this success is that Moscow failed to implement its initial invasion plan.
Shattered forecasts and Zelenskyy's evacuation
Guido Crosetto recalled that at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, most military experts and analysts around the world predicted the imminent fall of the Ukrainian capital. "Four years ago, everyone thought Russia would take Kyiv within a week," the minister emphasized, describing the atmosphere of that time.
The situation was so critical that even the United States prepared a special aircraft for the possible emergency evacuation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, the scenario of a rapid takeover of the country did not work out, and Ukraine managed to preserve its statehood.
"Stuck" army and new realities of war
Four years later, the situation on the front lines has changed radically. According to the head of the Italian Ministry of Defense, the Russian army is today "stuck at the front line." Crosetto cited shocking loss statistics: Russia loses about 30,000 military personnel per month, including killed and wounded.
The Italian minister also noted that Ukraine not only survived but also transformed approaches to conducting modern warfare. In particular, the widespread use of unmanned aerial vehicles by Ukrainian forces served as an example for many armies around the world, changing combat tactics on a global scale.
Humiliation for the Kremlin
Crosetto concluded that from Kyiv's point of view, the war has already been won, as the country never planned to invade Russian territory and acted exclusively within the framework of self-defense. "Ukraine still exists; it is strong and makes the war more difficult for (Russian dictator) Vladimir Putin every day," he stated.
The position of the Italian minister was supported by his British colleague, UK Defense Minister Wes Streeting. He called the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine a "humiliation for Putin".
Regarding the conditions for ending the conflict, Guido Crosetto put forward a strict requirement. In his opinion, the war can only be considered over when Russia stops shelling Ukrainian territory for at least 24–48 hours. Since the beginning of the invasion in 2022, there has not been a single such break.
