The West may be planning to convince Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to go into “exile” in London if a ceasefire is reached in Ukraine, according to Do Rzeczy, citing a report from Spanish daily El Mundo and government sources in Kyiv.
This move would pave the way for Ukrainian presidential elections while deploying European peacekeeping troops, primarily from Britain and France. Ukraine could also expect swift EU membership and substantial post-war reconstruction aid.
The situation on the ground remains grim for Kyiv. In November, Russia captured the largest territory since early 2022, focusing on the eastern region near Pokrovsk. Experts from the American Institute for the Study of War estimate Moscow now controls 68,500 square kilometers, including Crimea and parts of Donbas—approximately 19% of Ukraine’s pre-2014 territory.
As U.S. President-elect Donald Trump prioritizes resolving the conflict, his senior aides have been meeting with Kyiv officials. Meanwhile, MI6 Chief Richard Moore, after discussions with French intelligence head Nicholas Lerner, emphasized the high stakes. “If Putin succeeds in reducing Ukraine to a vassal state, he won’t stop there,” Moore warned.
Amid these challenges, the U.S. is pressing Ukraine to draft more 18-25-year-olds to bolster its military. However, concerns are mounting about the long-term demographic toll of sending this young generation to the battlefield.
