Ukraine is gaining momentum, but the war is far from over
July 20, 2026
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Highlights from the GZERO World with Ian Bremmer weekly television show.
Ukraine is striking deeper inside Russia than ever before, but has the momentum in the war truly shifted? Kyiv says it has changed the battlefield, but warns the hardest fighting may still lie ahead.
Ukraine has brought the war farther into Russia than anyone thought possible. Long-range drone strikes have reached military and energy targets near Moscow, St. Petersburg, Siberia, and even Crimea, demonstrating capabilities that seemed unimaginable just a year ago. But according to former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, those successes do not mean Ukraine is winning.
In this conversation with Ian Bremmer, Kuleba explains why Kyiv believes it has fundamentally changed the way the war is being fought, while cautioning that Russia continues to make gains along parts of the front line and is preparing for another difficult winter. He argues that Ukraine is stronger than it was six months ago, but warns that the conflict has entered a new phase, but not its final one.
Kuleba also discusses Ukraine's unprecedented strikes inside Russian territory, why Kyiv rejected the West's more cautious approach to escalation, and what it will take to convince Vladimir Putin that continuing the war is no longer worth the cost.
Every week on GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, Ian explains the key global stories of the moment, sits down for an in-depth conversation with the newsmakers and thought leaders shaping our world.
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