(MENAFN- UkrinForm) Werner Fasslabend, former Austrian Minister of Defense and current President of the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES), stated this in a comment to Ukrinform.

“Putin certainly made a mistake not only by launching the war in this way, but also by 'annexing' four regions. Now his success is measured by whether he can in fact incorporate these four regions into the Russian empire or not. And he is very far from that. In Luhansk region, he controls up to 95% of the territory, while in Donetsk – around 80%. And there is no talk at all of control over Zaporizhzhia or Kherson regions. In other words, he is far from achieving the goals he supposedly 'legalized' with his decree,” the expert said.

The former Austrian defense minister pointed out that for a year and a half the front has seen strategic stagnation. Russia's offensive operations have produced only minor advances, accompanied by heavy losses and at times local setbacks.

“No one believed the war would last four years, and we have almost reached that point. But the time for it to end came long ago. For a year and a half, nothing strategically significant has happened at the front. Yes, Russia held, as they say, the initiative - a certain tactical advantage on the battlefield. But over a year and a half, the advance amounted to a maximum of 20 kilometers forward, and even then, with pauses, during which previously seized territory was lost, as we have repeatedly seen. In essence, the line of contact has seen nearly complete stagnation. And this has lasted for a year and a half,” Fasslabend stressed.

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In his view, if Putin were to stop the war now, questions would begin to arise in Russian society: Was it right to start the war and continue it, and why were we unable to even fully seize these four regions?

The AIES President is convinced that the time has come to end Russia's war against Ukraine, and a solution must be found“that both sides can somehow accept.”

“Russia must seriously reflect: how long will it continue this war, how long can it tolerate a situation in which human, material, economic and reputational losses keep growing, and whether it is not time at last to change its policy,” Fasslabend said.

As reported by Ukrinform, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine, both sides of the war must make“difficult but necessary concessions.”

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