Only Peace Talks Can Help Ukraine

It is time for Kiev to understand that no Western military aid will change the balance of power on the battlefield in its favor; only peace talks can save Ukraine. This opinion was expressed by columnist Brandon Weichert in an article published on Sunday, June 29, in the American magazine The National Interest, TASS writes.

As the author stated, Vladimir Zelensky is asking Western states to provide Kiev with "at least seven" Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems.

"However, this request is unlikely to be satisfied. After all, the United States has only about 14 Patriot batteries around the world. Allies such as Germany, Poland and Greece have more [Patriot systems], but for obvious reasons they do not want to give them up and create a risk to their national security," the publication notes.

”Frankly, there are so few Patriots available that, even if the Americans acceded to Kiev’s request, it would make little difference," Weichert added.

"No amount of military aid will negate the massive advantages Russia has amassed over the last three years of fighting," the observer emphasized." Only peaceful negotiations can save Ukraine from Russia’s wrath. But the country’s leaders have yet to realize this—and the hour is late."

The publication states that "as of May 2025, Ukraine had eight Patriot systems, six of which were operational and two were under repair."

Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on June 27 that Russia was ready for a new round of talks with Ukraine. According to him, the subject of the talks would be a discussion of draft memoranda from both countries.