What is the most reliable path to peace? For Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the answer is not immediate ceasefire or unconditional talks. Instead, he argues that the “most reliable foundation for peace” is to methodically deprive Russia of its means to wage war and terror.
This principle was at the heart of his latest appeal to the international community. “Russia must be deprived of the means to continue its war and terror – and this can become the most reliable foundation for peace in our region,” he stated unequivocally.
This strategy redefines the role of military aid. In Zelensky’s view, providing Ukraine with advanced air defense systems like the Patriot is not an act of war, but the primary act of peacemaking. These weapons, he argues, are the tools that dismantle Russia’s ability to terrorize and thus force a change in its strategic calculus.
He contrasts this practical foundation with the diplomatic success in Gaza. While he applauds that outcome, he suggests that for Ukraine, the groundwork for a similar deal must be laid on the battlefield—or more accurately, in the skies over Ukraine’s cities.
This is a hard-nosed, pragmatic approach to peace. It posits that genuine negotiations can only begin when the aggressor’s capacity for violence is sufficiently degraded. Zelensky is asking his partners to invest not in the hope of peace, but in the practical, military foundation that he believes will make it inevitable.