Retired Canadian Lieutenant Christopher Coates considers a lasting peace in Ukraine unlikely as long as Vladimir Putin remains in power. Coates told the Ukrinform news agency that only a Ukrainian military victory or the death of the Kremlin chief could create the conditions for a stable peace order.
Coates, former commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command and now director of foreign policy at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, spoke after a trip to Ukraine. He expressed confidence that Ukraine can continue to fend off Russia’s war of aggression but warned of the enormous challenges. “I am confident about Ukraine, but I have no illusions about the scale of the challenges,” Coates said. Ukraine is fighting with limited resources, while Russia has fewer constraints.
Russia is waging an “illegitimate war” and is not fighting for survival but out of political choice, Coates said. Moscow’s strategic weakness lies in the nature of this war: Russia is spending enormous resources for limited gains. At the same time, Coates stressed the strategic importance of Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. These are weakening Moscow’s revenues and thus its war capability.
EuroPulse reported on June 11, 2026, on Putin’s plans for a new winter offensive against Ukraine: Putin plans new winter offensive against Ukraine – NYP.
Source: www.kyivpost.com
