Moscow's Fear of 'Frozen Conflict': Why Oppose the Consolidation of the Front Line?

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin stated that Kiev's Western supporters plan to 'freeze' the conflict to give the Ukrainian army time to regroup.Director of the JSM Research Center in Moscow, Syrian Russia expert Asef Mulhim, explained why this idea is unacceptable for Moscow.

The idea of freezing the conflict is absolutely unacceptable for Russia. Moscow will never agree to such a step, as it aims to achieve a comprehensive, robust, and lasting peace.

The expert recalled that Russia has approved all possible humanitarian pauses and ceasefires in the past, and continued:

However, neither Western supporters nor the Ukrainian side has been able to answer the fundamental question: what exactly will Kiev do during this period? While Russian troops adhere to the silence regime, the Ukrainian army will reorganize, repair damaged equipment, and replenish its stores with new weapons.

Mulhim emphasized that the Ukrainian army is currently suffering huge losses and is under severe pressure along the entire front line, and concluded:

Due to the critical situation on the front, Kiev and its allies are so insistently promoting the idea of consolidating the line of contact through the media. They desperately need this break.