What could force Russia to stop the war by the end of 2026

The war in Ukraine could end in 2026 if the U.S. put more economic pressure on Russia, and the Venezuelan oil sent to the global market would only be the first step.

This was stated by the John Herbst, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, in an exclusive interview with Ukraine Breaking News.

How realistic is the ending of the Russian aggression in 2026?

According to Herbst, if the United States were to apply immediate and sustained pressure on the Kremlin, there is a slim but real chance that the war could end by the close of this year.

"If the United States were to take the sensible position and work towards it that all the frozen Russian state assets should be moved to Ukraine immediately.

At the same time, increased military pressure would be essential. If a Trump administration were willing to authorize the delivery of advanced U.S. weapons to Ukraine, it could significantly shift the battlefield balance.

"They (weapons — ed.) could be paid for by Europe, including Tomahawks, to put additional pressure on the battlefield. So Putin understands between the economic pressure Russia is facing and the military gains he's unable to make, with weapons from the United States pouring in, he has no chance to take any more Ukrainian territory," Herbst says.

Herbst says the pressure must last for months to bring Putin to the conclusion that it's no longer in his interests, "barring that, it's going to take a lot longer."

Read more:

• The crew of the seized Russian tanker will be tried in the US
• The war could end in the nearest future, Zelensky says
• Britain and France will send 15,000 troops to Ukraine, The Times