Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with Fareed Zakharia in Kyiv, September 2025 at YES2025 conference.
Victor Pinchuk Foundation/YES ©2025, Nicolas Lobet, Valentyna Rostovikova, Frederic Garrido-Ramirez (PRYZM)
More than three and a half years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, and over a decade since Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea and eastern territories, Ukraine continues to defend its sovereignty under conditions that are militarily, politically, and economically grueling. The biggest problem is the absence of a unified vision—among Ukraine’s partners or even internally—on what ending the war actually means.
A diverse group of international leaders, military officials, and policy architects gathered in Kyiv in mid-September for the Yalta European Strategy 21st annual summit (YES), organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation. Named for its original locale, the conference was moved to Kyiv after Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014. Each year of war since Russia’s full scale invasion, the summit, attended in person by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has captured the prevailing sentiment on both the global and domestic fronts. This year’s takeaway was that the war could last for years, as there is no clear consensus on how to bring it to a conclusion.
Ukraine’s Position: No Land for Peace
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was direct in his message: “Giving Putin any piece of Ukrainian land so that he stops the war is out of the question,” he said at the summit. “This is not a solution, it is, instead, a pause … just like it was after 2008 in Georgia, just like it was after 2014 in Crimea and Donetsk.” His message resonates with Ukraine’s public, who understand that appeasing Russia will never bring peace.
Zelenskyy emphasized that any genuine end to the war must include justice: “We need Russia to be held accountable for what it did to Ukraine, to Ukrainians, to our people.” Widespread systematic, government-ordered war crimes, torture, rape, kidnapping children, and abuse committed by Russia in Ukraine cannot go unpunished.
Andriy Yermak, President Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, reinforced that accountability is non-negotiable. “There are proposals to give Russia back its frozen assets if there is a ceasefire. Our answer is, ‘No, this is not the price of a ceasefire.’”
Beyond the geopolitical calculus, Ukrainian veterans and prisoners of war reminded the audience of the stakes and of the human costs. Yulian Pylypei, a marine and former POW, recounted brutal beatings in Russian captivity. First hand accounts from both combatants and civilians who were tortured by Russian troops, make the idea of Russia getting away without being held to account seem like a crime in itself.
U.S. Messaging: Close to the End…But How?
President Donald Trump, in his video address to the YES summit, said, “I believe this war, ultimately, will not end on the battlefield; it will at the negotiation table.” Retired General Keith Kellogg, Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine and advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, sounded an optimistic tone. “We are exceptionally close to the end. The last ten yards are the hardest part of the fight,” he said, contingent on continued partner support. He noted that while sanctions are strong (“a six out of 10”), enforcement is lacking: “We are at an enforcement level of three.”
Kellogg also hinted at the role of diplomacy, recalling the Alaska Summit and President Trump’s direct engagement: “At least he got him [Putin] on the ground and talked about it. He opened the door and established a level of discourse.”
European Partners: Pressure Without Unity
The YES summit took place in the immediate wake of Russia’s violation of NATO airspace on Sept. 10, when it sent 19 drones into eastern Poland, three of which were armed and shot down by NATO jets. The Kremlin also launched drones into Romanian air space, and again Polish territory a few days later, and additional incursions were reported near the Slovak and Baltic borders. What other red line does Russia need to cross? Many speakers raised this question at the event.
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb warned “the only thing that Russia understands is power and that is what we have to show.”
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasized NATO’s readiness and said that incursions into NATO airspace must be taken seriously. “We support the Polish and NATO forces in shooting down [Russian hostile targets]. “We need a strong response, or Putin will continue to reach into other countries’ stability and safety.”
Meanwhile the message from Paris emphasized strategizing for the long-run. Xavier Chatel, Strategic Affairs Advisor to the French President, called for a long-term framework: “We need robust security guarantees [for Ukraine]… a future force model, equipped, funded and supported by all of us… to ensure there is no resumption of the conflict.”
No Clear Off-Ramp
If there is a consensus among Ukraine’s allies, it is that more must be done. But what—and toward what goal—is still unclear.
“Russia has been trying to preface any ceasefire or settlement by demanding ludicrous concessions,” said France’s Chatel. “These are not only illegal and immoral, but we know Russia has a huge track record of not sticking to its word.”
Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland’s Foreign Minister, summarized the stakes as Russian drones entered Polish airspace: “We don’t believe in twenty mistakes at the same time. The intercept was flown by allied pilots, and none of the drones reached their targets.”
For Ukraine, the fight continues without compromise. For its allies, the path forward is less clear, even as pressure builds for resolution. With surprises still possible, right now, both Ukraine and its allies are coming to terms with the possibility that this war will continue for years, which will be longer than anyone could imagine.
Edited by Karina L. Tahiliani
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/katyasoldak/2025/09/22/no-end-in-sight-russias-war-on-ukraine-drags-on-amid-lack-of-western-consensus/
