Ukraine is “not winning” its war against Russia, according to a close advisor of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Despite the difficult situation on the ground, Zelensky’s belief in an outright Ukrainian victory is said to be unmovable, according to a new report by Time.

The close aide said: “He deludes himself. We’re out of options. We’re not winning. But try telling him that.”

Zelensky is said to feel abandoned by the West which he believes has provided Ukraine with enough support to stop Russia but not to outright win the war.

The President is dead set against a truce or peace deal with Moscow that involves giving up territory and recent surveys show most of the population of Ukraine agrees.

Speaking to the outlet, he said: “For us, it would mean leaving this wound open for future generations.

“Maybe it will calm some people down inside our country, and outside, at least those who want to wrap things up at any price. But for me, that’s a problem, because we are left with this explosive force. We only delay its detonation.”

Zelensky sees Ukraine as preventing a wider war which could spread across Europe and around the world. In his words, “a third world war”.

Still, despite launching a counteroffensive in June, Ukraine has failed to take back a significant amount of occupied territory.

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Russia still controls around a fifth of Ukraine while the frontlines are becoming more entrenched as the second winter of wartime approaches.

A frozen conflict – similar to that between Ukraine and the so-called separatist republics starting in 2014 – would be a nightmare for Kyiv.

Russia has the industrial base and the manpower to carry out a long war of attrition.

Now, with the outbreak of war in Israel, there is a worry that international attention is being drawn from Ukraine.

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