You certainly have to have some nerve. Just before President Zelensky was due to deliver his address to the UN General Assembly, Kyiv was hit by one of the heaviest attacks it has suffered. It was a raised middle finger to the rest of the world, making it clear that President Putin has no interest in peace.
His foreign minister, Lavrov, was equally clear in New York: we do not want a peace agreement, but if talks are deemed necessary, we will take part.
At the same time, the Russian propaganda machine was operating at full speed. Dobropillia in the Donetsk region was supposedly surrounded. This turned out to be nonsense and yet another transparent attempt to create the impression that Russia is winning.
Further north, Russia suffered a significant setback when Ukraine drove Russian forces out of the area around Lyman. This cut off the route that would have allowed Russia to encircle the fortified cities in the Donetsk region from the north. As a result, Putin’s deadline of March 31, 2027, for the complete conquest of the Donbas is now under serious pressure. That deadline had already been postponed 16 times, incidentally.
Russia’s strategy is clear: isolate the country from the outside world, destroy its energy infrastructure, and make sure the country bleeds to death economically. That is why trains are being attacked at an increasing rate, routes from Poland and Moldova are being targeted, and Kyiv is being subjected to psychological pressure.
Will it work? I doubt it. History shows that tactics of this kind rarely lead to capitulation. Putin is only making Ukrainians angrier and more determined. The horrific attacks last winter had no discernible effect on the course of the war.
Speaking of winter: Trump and Zelensky want an end to attacks on energy infrastructure. These attacks are causing serious damage to both countries. Putin’s refusal is presumably motivated by the fact that stopping the attacks would benefit Ukraine. If Putin stops targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, the Ukrainian war industry can produce more, while Ukraine can focus all its attention on the front, where Russia is not making major gains.
There has been some progress, but at this pace it would take until 2032 for the entire Donbas to be captured. Surely that is even more reason to reach an agreement.
One ray of hope is that President Trump has signed important sanctions legislation. The law allows Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the top five countries buying Russian oil and gas. India and China are the largest buyers. It also allows, for the first time, the delivery of weapons to Ukraine.
Moreover, Trump has an interest in stopping attacks on oil and gas infrastructure. Because, in addition to his irresponsible war against Iran, these attacks are also responsible for high diesel prices. That affects the average American as well, who will be going to the polls for the midterm elections.
Trump is therefore changing course somewhat. Perhaps this is why Secretary of State Rubio said that Lavrov may actually be willing to discuss halting attacks on energy infrastructure and grain exports after all.
Let’s hope this succeeds.
Source: Trouw, Rob de Wijk, 24 september 2026
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