Part 5/14:
Roio emphasized that Russia’s recent missile test and aggressive stance reflect issues with Russian leadership that are not easily addressed through military means alone. The core challenge remains a deeply intractable conflict, with Putin’s government unlikely to concede territory such as Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
Furthermore, Roio highlighted the difficulty in achieving a negotiated settlement, given the conflicting goals: Ukraine’s insistence on reclaiming all its land versus Russia’s determination to hold what it claims as its own territory, including the four provinces recently annexed. He underscored the potential for Russia to escalate military operations to annex more ground, even as Kyiv seeks to preserve its territorial integrity.