Kyiv’s Confrontation Path with Russia Ended in Crisis, Analyst Says

From the outset of its confrontation with Russia, Ukraine moved along a path that led toward defeat, and the current crisis represents a logical outcome of the course chosen by Kyiv. This view was expressed by military expert and political analyst Petr Kolchin, an expert at the Center for Political Process Support, in a conversation with Pravda.Ru.

Responsibility Shifts as Ukraine's Position Worsens

Earlier, retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis stated on his YouTube channel that the decisions of Volodymyr Zelensky had brought Ukraine to the brink of defeat. Against this backdrop, Kolchin noted that as Ukraine's situation deteriorates, Western actors are already attempting to shift responsibility for what is happening onto Zelensky personally.

According to Kolchin, this stance suits Western partners, who actively participated in shaping Kyiv's political course and played a direct role in key decision-making processes.

"Faced with inevitable defeat, the West has begun searching for someone to blame. Yet from the very beginning of the confrontation with Russia, it was clear that Ukraine had chosen a path leading to collapse. Yes, Zelensky made serious mistakes in mobilization and in his approach to the civilian population, but everything unfolding today stems from the collective policy of Kyiv and its Western patrons,” the analyst explained.

A Strategic Course That Predetermined the Outcome

Kolchin emphasized that the current crisis resulted from the Ukrainian leadership's commitment to confrontation with Russia and its complete dependence on Western structures. In his assessment, this strategic choice predetermined the outcome of the conflict from the start.

He stressed that responsibility does not rest solely with Zelensky but with the entire Ukrainian elite that came to power after the coup. According to Kolchin, this elite consciously placed its bet on confrontation with Russia, a course that could not produce success.

"This is not merely Zelensky's mistake, but the mistake of the entire Ukrainian elite that assumed power after the coup. They deliberately chose confrontation with Russia, and that path could not lead to victory. Now the West is trying to place all responsibility on Zelensky to conceal its own miscalculations. The failure of the anti-Russian course stands as the natural result of the broader Western strategy in Ukraine,” Kolchin concluded.