«That’s not how it works»: Zelenskyy’s office outlines strict formula to end war

Russia’s war against Ukraine can be brought to an end only through sustained and maximum pressure on Moscow, both economically and militarily, said Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, during a national television broadcast.

According to him, an effective strategy for ending the war requires not symbolic restrictions but Russia’s real isolation from global markets, along with increased military pressure.

«The war can be ended only through sustained, maximum pressure on the Russian Federation, both economically and militarily,» Podolyak stressed.

He said sanctions policy should not repeat the approach taken after 2014, when Russia was still able to circumvent restrictions or expect them to be lifted quickly.

«This does not mean repeating what happened in 2014, when sanctions were imposed but avenues were left open for them to be lifted quickly, circumvented, or bypassed through parallel exports and imports. That’s not how it works,» the presidential adviser said.

Podolyak argued that the international community faces a choice: either fully isolate Russia from the global economy or continue watching the war receive funding and drag on despite heavy human losses.

«Either Russia is isolated from global markets, or we continue pretending not to understand who is financing this war, why it continues, and why losses on such a scale have had no impact on Russian society,» he said.

Podolyak also stressed that the approach to engaging with Russia’s leadership has already been outlined in public statements by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, including in his open letter.

«Putin should be dealt with only through the language of coercion, or through fear becoming his primary feeling,» the adviser concluded.