Sensational details about the end of the Russia-Ukraine war are revealed, the "recipe for peace" that is expected to bring disaster in Kiev is revealed, military experts make a scary prediction, here's what will happen in 10 years

With Ukraine's counteroffensive not going exactly to plan and the world's attention shifting to the war between Israel and Hamas, some are wondering whether it's time for Volodymyr Zelensky to think about peace negotiations with Putin. Ukrainian soldiers failed to make any major advances against Russian troops, and casualties on both sides now number in the hundreds of thousands. Given the failure of this counteroffensive, it is increasingly likely that another bloody summer awaits Ukraine. Because of this, but also because of the situation in the Middle East, more and more people are asking whether Zelensky should consider signing a peace deal with Vladimir Putin. But the military experts interviewed by "Daily Mail" reject this possibility, at least not in the short term, since in Kiev this is seen as a "recipe for disaster".

Catastrophe for 10 years

Charlie Herbert, a former British general who served in Afghanistan, says such a move would only heighten Vladimir Putin's "murderous efforts" but not eliminate them entirely. "Will Zelensky decide to negotiate now? Absolutely not," says Herbert. He adds that while it is "somewhat inevitable" that the war will end with some form of political settlement, it will not happen anytime soon. Likewise, Aliona Hlivco, director of the Henry Jackson Society think tank, says that if Ukraine reaches an agreement now, at a time when there are no significant developments on the ground, Putin will return in 10 years and completely destroy Ukraine . "This is an existential struggle for Ukraine. If we agree now, as we did in 2015, Putin will come back and eliminate the Ukrainian nation," she added. Ben Hodges, the former commander of US forces in Europe, says now is not the time for a deal and explains that Zelensky knows Putin cannot be trusted in any negotiations. "The West has not yet understood that we are at war with Russia," he says.

The illusion of Ukraine

All military experts agree that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has not been as successful as everyone had hoped and that progress has been much slower than expected. Accordingly, Russia still controls almost a fifth of Ukraine. "This war has reached a stalemate," says retired US Army Colonel Gian Gentile. Herbert adds that this means the prospect of a decisive military victory on either side remains illusory. Zelensky himself admitted that Ukrainian troops are facing a difficult defensive operation, especially now that winter has come. Snow and very low temperatures further complicate the already difficult situation on the battlefield. But there have been gains in recent weeks. Hodges says these gains, however small, mean Zelensky "has no need or desire to negotiate anything with Putin." And without a peace deal, Herbert says Ukraine faces another 'bloody summer'.

Western aid

But the West can end this war if it provides Ukraine with enough weapons to win, says Ben Hodges, former commander of US forces in Europe. How long it will take for the war to end depends on how much Western support will be for Ukraine and whether that support will be even greater. For Hodges, long-range precision systems, such as the MGM-150 tactical system that can launch missiles at a range of 300 km, could enable Ukraine to wrest Crimea from Russian control. Gentile says it's hard to say how long the war will last unless the West sends more weapons. Ryan says Ukraine must become a member of NATO in order for the nation - and the West - to achieve their goals, which is a "sovereign and free" Ukraine. "We need a Ukraine that is inside NATO and the EU, as a shield against Russia's malicious actions under the control of Putin and his aides," he says. And this will absolutely not be achieved at the negotiating table.