Bolton emphasized that there are currently no conditions for a negotiated settlement of the war.

John Bolton, an American Republican politician and ex-President of the United States on security issues, considers it a realistic possibility of a new attack by Russian troops on Kyiv or the western regions in order to prevent the supply of military aid to Ukraine from Western countries. He also emphasized that Putin is raising the stakes, so Ukrainians should prepare for difficult times.

In an interview with Volodymyr Ostapchuk for the “Spotlight Ukraine” program on the “Espresso” TV channel, he noted that a new offensive by the Russian Federation from the north could happen for two reasons.

“First, Putin and the Kremlin are trying to focus on politics and diplomacy to split the Western alliance. I think they realize that their military record has been bad, and Ukraine’s has been the opposite, so Putin is now hoping to win diplomatically what he can’t to win on the battlefield, splitting NATO, as I said,” Bolton explained.

He also mentioned the replacement of the commander of the Russian occupation forces in Ukraine, Serhii Surovykin, with the chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov.

“Secondly, I would say this to all Ukrainians, regarding Putin’s recent decision to appoint Valery Gerasimov as his new field commander in this war – (it – ed.) is very significant and means that there are very difficult times ahead. Gerasimov, whom Putin elected to be the de facto chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told him to get off his desk and win the war in Ukraine. Putin is raising the stakes, he’s putting all his chips in the center of the table, he won’t be able to blame anyone for the failure in Ukraine on the other hand, his regime is on the brink right now, and he’s making it clear that he doesn’t support any settlement. There are no conditions for a negotiated settlement at this time,” Bolton stressed.

The threat of a new offensive of the Russian Federation: what is known

Andriy Yusov, representative of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said that Russia is preparing several options for the development of hostilities on the territory of Ukraine. However, mostly false information is available in open sources. The occupiers are spreading disinformation in order to disorient the Ukrainian command.

At the same time, the secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, Colonel Roman Kostenko of the SBU, said that the Russian diplomatic direction and the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin personally are working to draw Belarus into a war against Ukraine. Whether the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Oleksandr Lukashenko, will agree to this will be known already in the spring, since then Russia can launch a new offensive.