Kathrine Frich
He wants a brutal, decisive response to Russian hybrid warfare.
When a conflict drags on for years, the lines on the map barely seem to move.
Observers on the outside can easily mistake this slow grind for a permanent stalemate.
But behind closed doors, military insiders are watching the balance tilt.
A grim assessment
John Lough spent years working in Moscow and recently served as a NATO official. Now heading the foreign policy team at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre, he has delivered a stark warning about the war in Ukraine.
He told The Independent cited by O2 that Russia currently holds the upper hand. The fierce Ukrainian defense in the Donbas and summer missile strikes on Russian fuel depots are impressive, but they do not tell the whole story.
“Putin thinks he’s winning, and I think he’s right,” Lough told the newspaper. The cost of those earlier battlefield successes is extremely steep.
The coming winter
As the cold weather approaches, Russian forces are ramping up the pressure. Missiles and drones pound Kyiv daily.
According to Ukrainian authorities, recent targets include key energy facilities and internet hubs. These strikes leave citizens facing freezing temperatures without running water.
Lough warned that many Western leaders fail to see how quickly the situation could unravel. Relying on future American elections is a dangerous game.
A Ukrainian defeat would shatter European security. He urged NATO and the UK to step up their preparations behind the scenes.
Striking back harder
The former NATO official also called on the British government to take the fight to Moscow. He wants a brutal, decisive response to Russian hybrid warfare.
Expelling a few diplomats is no longer enough. Lough raised the idea of launching cyberattacks to show the Kremlin that the UK will not sit back passively.
Tensions between London and Moscow are already boiling. European nations recently blamed Russia for an attack on a German airport. Moscow fiercely denied the allegations.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham promises to maintain a tough stance. Following Keir Starmer’s path, Burnham traveled to Kyiv on his first foreign trip to show support. But the Kremlin continues to warn London that supplying drones will bring severe consequences.
