Putin Expects Ukraine to Break This Winter, First Deputy Head of Presidential Office Kyslytsya Says

Russian President Vladimir Putin believes Ukraine may not endure the upcoming winter, and is therefore unlikely to return to the negotiating table before at least mid-March, according to the First Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Serhii Kyslytsya. Kyslytsya made the remarks in an interview with Ukrinform on Thursday, Aug. 20, telling the news outlet that Moscow currently lacks motivation to enter negotiations and could see winter as an opportunity to weaken Ukrainian society.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Putin now has no desire to sit down at the negotiating table,” Kyslytsya said, adding that “at least until mid-March, he will have even less motivation, because he will believe that Ukrainians are not as strong enough as a nation to survive this winter.” His comments came as Ukraine increasingly continues preparations across all sectors, particularly its air defenses, critical energy and water infrastructure, as well as residents for the upcoming winter. Unity – Ukraine’s strongest defense Kyiv, with its planned strikes, has managed to push Moscow deeper into an economic crisis, especially by widening the fuel shortage that puts pressure directly on Russia’s capital. With oil and gas revenues down 30%, borrowing costs rising sharply, and a soaring budget deficit, Moscow is increasingly relying on debt to sustain military operations. Nevertheless, Russia continues the war with no end date in sight, with the war now approaching its fifth year. Other Topics of Interest ‘Every Third Building’: Klitschko on Russia’s Damage to Kyiv Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Russian attacks have damaged around 4,000 of the city’s 12,000 buildings and cost Kyiv about Hr.500 million per strike. According to Kyslytsya, Russia’s strategy for the upcoming winter – starting in early autumn – is based on dividing Ukrainian society. “This will sound very pathetic,” he said, “but the greatest factor in influencing Putin is the unity of the Ukrainian people.” The strategy, he said, is designed to make Ukrainians lose faith, possibly turn against one another, and question the country’s ability to endure. He argued that Russia is repeating tactics seen in the 20th century, including efforts to destroy national identity and exploit internal fractures. “All that is happening, in particular in our geography, is the repetition of what has already happened in Ukraine and in Europe, simply at a much higher technical and technological level,” Kyslytsya said. Diplomacy attempts must continue Kyslytsya, one of the key negotiators in the peace process, said Kyiv should not suspend diplomatic work, even as intelligence assessments say that Russia is not preparing to halt hostilities this year. He said abandoning negotiations would allow Moscow to reinforce its narrative abroad that Ukraine – rather than Russia – is obstructing the end to the war. Ukraine remains ready to engage with Washington and communicate directly with Russia, while also pressuring Moscow to return to the negotiating table by conducting long-range strike campaigns against Russia’s critical oil and energy infrastructure, warehouses, and ports. Kyslytsya highlighted in-person meetings with US negotiators, saying they remain particularly important because military, political, economic, and other sensitive issues cannot always be addressed remotely. Months of Patriot shortages Ukraine is simultaneously pursuing measures to strengthen its protection against Russian ballistic missiles, with Kyiv estimating it needs at least 300 PAC-3 interceptors for Patriot systems to survive the winter. Kyslytsya described the US-made Patriots as the most proven capability against ballistic threats – and rightfully so, as they are the only weapon Ukraine relies on to intercept Russia’s Iskander-M and other ballistics – but confirmed that global production remains far below current demand. For this reason, according to Kyslytsya, Ukraine has also proposed supplying lower-cost systems for countering Shahed-type drones and other types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed directly to the US for more missiles on Aug. 6, saying even a fraction of the US arsenal could help Ukraine survive the winter. “This year, I am asking our US partners to sell me five percent of their missile arsenals,” Zelensky told CNN. “If they sell us ten percent, we will destroy all of Russia’s ballistic missiles.” At the beginning of June, Lockheed Martin announced that it cannot guarantee delivery timelines for the much-needed PAC-3 interceptors, even as it moves to expand annual production from roughly 650 missiles to 2,000 by 2033 under a $4.7 billion Pentagon contract. As global demand surges, the company introduced the PAC-3 ACE on July 20, a Patriot interceptor designed to deter air and missile threats at less than half the cost of the PAC-3 MSE, which costs around $4 million per missile. During the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7-8, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington would grant Ukraine a license to manufacture its own Patriot defense systems, though he has since softened his stance on the commitment. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.