President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined his vision of Ukraine’s path to victory and peace at the United Nations General Assembly last month and presented his plan for victory to the U.S. presidential candidates. Building on the NATO Summit and the peace summit in Switzerland, President Zelenskyy appealed to UN member states to support Ukraine and diminish Russia’s ability to continue further military aggression against his country.

While Moscow is using Iranian and North Korean missiles against Ukrainian cities, killing hundreds of civilians, Kyiv is still not allowed to use American long-range weapons against military targets inside Russia. In response, Kyiv has intensified its already successful drone war against military and fuel targets in Russia. By destroying Russian airfields near Ukraine, glide bomb attacks against Ukrainian cities have already been reduced by 50 percent.

In August, Ukraine’s armed forces also invaded the Kursk district in Russia, undermining the Putin regime by demonstrating Moscow’s inability to defend its own population. The Kursk operation has boosted Ukrainian morale, diverted Russian resources, and undermined confidence in Moscow’s ability to defeat Ukraine among states in the “Global South.”

The Jamestown Foundation hosted a webinar about Ukraine’s path to victory and peace on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. The event offered the perspectives of General (ret.) Phillip M. Breedlove, Major General (ret.) Volodymyr Havrylov, and Boris Bondarev, former Russian diplomat on the topic. Ia Meurmishvili, Chief International Correspondent at The Cipher Brief (‪@thecipherbrief‬) moderated the discussion.

Participants:

Featuring:

General (ret.) Phillip M. Breedlove,
former Commander of U.S. European Command

Introduction:

Peter Mattis, President of The Jamestown Foundation

Discussants:

Major General (ret.) Volodymyr Havrylov,
Director of the Veterans Dozen Foundation and Former Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine

Boris Bondarev, former Russian diplomat

Moderator: 

Ia Meurmishvili, Chief International Correspondent at The Cipher Brief

Biographies:

Philip Breedlove is a retired Four-Star US Air Force General who completed a 39 year military career. He held eight major commands across four continents during both peace and conflict and culminated his distinguished career as Commander US European Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe. General Breedlove has extensive experience in our nation’s senior most geopolitical decision making and national security policy making processes at both the Pentagon and the National Security Council.

General Breedove is currently a Distinguished Professor at The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech. He also serves on the board of directors of The Jamestown Foundation.

Ia Meurmishvili is Chief International Correspondent at The Cipher Brief. She is a former Managing Editor at Voice of America’s Georgian Service, where she hosted the weekly news magazine, “View from  Washington.” Ia is a frequent commentator and moderator in international discussions about U.S. foreign and national security policy, particularly with respect to the Caucasus and Eurasia region.

Major General (ret.) Volodymyr Havrylov was appointed Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense in the course of Russian aggression at the beginning of 2022 and served in this position until October 2023. Previously, he served as Defense Attaché at the Ukrainian Embassy to the United States in 2015–2018. He is also currently a Director of the Veterans Dozen Foundation and serves on the Board of Advisors to the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation.

Boris Bondarev is a former Russian diplomat who recently resigned from his position in opposition to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Mr. Bondarev was born in Moscow and graduated from MGIMO University in 2002. He served in the Russian diplomatic service from 2002 to 2022, with a focus on non-proliferation, strategic stability, and international security. He is currently a political émigré.