Ukraine: will the winter put the fighting on ice?
After the withdrawal of Russian troops from Kherson and continued shelling of vital infrastructure in Ukraine, Western media are speculating on whether the winter weather will pave the way for negotiations. Kyiv has rejected the idea of a pause in fighting, but the European press won't let go of the topic.
The ball is in Putin's court
Corriere della Sera wonders whether the time has come for negotiations:
“The prerequisite is a ceasefire. It is up to Putin to take the initiative. However, it is very unlikely that he will come out and call for a ceasefire. That would mean acknowledging defeat. But winter is just around the corner. The frost could impose a physiological truce without Putin having to justify himself. ... And Zelensky? Online he declared that it's a matter of getting through this winter in order to become even stronger next spring. ... The Ukrainian president is prepared to make only one concession. He is giving up the idea of overthrowing Putin.”
The weakest link could be elsewhere
wPolityce.pl suspects that the real target of the destruction of Ukraine's infrastructure is not actually Ukraine:
“The situation for Ukrainians is extremely difficult. ... In Ukraine, however, one looks in vain for politicians or social movements that want a quick peace at the expense of ceding territory or sovereignty for this reason. Could it be, then, that the real target of the disruption of electricity, gas and water supplies to the Ukrainian population is not the society that is defending itself but its Western partners? It is the EU and the US that are taking money out of their taxpayers' pockets to help the country on the Dnipro defend itself against 21st century Nazism.”
It's up to the major powers
Washington and Moscow must negotiate peace in Ukraine, writes the pro-government daily Magyar Nemzet:
“It was clear from the start that this conflict would end when Washington and Moscow reached an agreement. A weakened European Union on whose population unprecedented political, economic and moral burdens are being imposed is not a factor in this global game, and neither are the Ukrainians. ... If it can be made clear where the geographical and psychological boundaries of the great powers' spheres of interest lie, the war will end quickly.”