July 21, 2026

Why Rome believes the Kremlin has already lost its biggest battle

Italy believes Ukraine has already secured its most important victory in the war because Russia failed to achieve its original invasion objectives, according to Il Sole 24 Ore.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said that at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, most experts predicted Russian forces would capture Kyiv within days.

“Four years ago, everyone thought Russia would reach Kyiv within a week,” the minister said.

Crosetto also recalled that the United States had prepared an aircraft to potentially evacuate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Four years later, however, the situation has changed dramatically. According to the Italian defense chief, Russia is now “stuck on the front line,” losing around 30,000 troops a month killed and wounded.

He stressed that Ukraine has not only preserved its statehood but has also reshaped modern warfare. In particular, he said, its extensive use of drones has become a model for many militaries around the world.

“Ukraine still exists; it is strong and every day makes the war more difficult for Vladimir Putin. From its perspective, it has already won because it never intended to invade Russia — it is simply defending itself,” Crosetto added.

The minister also argued that the war will end only when Russia stops attacking Ukraine for at least 24 to 48 hours. According to him, that has not happened once since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Crosetto’s remarks were echoed by his British counterpart, Wes Streeting, who described Russia’s war against Ukraine as “a humiliation for Putin.”

https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/ukraine-has-already-won-war-italy-s-defense-1784658006.html