Kyiv, Sept. 13 (SANA)UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell said Europe must be prepared to face “real hardship” this winter to maintain economic pressure on Russia and continue supporting Ukraine.

Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy forum in Kyiv, Powell said Europe’s approach of backing Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Moscow was working, urging countries not to ease pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Powell said discussions about possible Russian escalation were “not a problem” but a sign that pressure on Moscow was having an effect.

“We cannot turn that into an advantage for Putin,” Powell said, adding that Europe would need to maintain economic, military, political and diplomatic support for Ukraine.

Powell’s comments came as European countries prepare for winter amid continued pressure on energy markets after significantly reducing their reliance on Russian oil and gas.

Europe has sharply cut its consumption of Russian gas, although some supplies continue. The European Union has planned a complete phase-out of Russian gas, while concerns remain over energy availability amid wider geopolitical tensions.

Powell said maintaining pressure on Moscow would require “real hardship and difficulties” but stressed that European countries should continue supporting Ukraine.

The remarks came as Russian strikes continue to target Ukrainian infrastructure, affecting the country’s economy and raising concerns ahead of winter.

Ukraine’s Economy Minister Oleksandr Kravchenko said Russian attacks this year were expected to cause about $10 billion in damage to infrastructure and assets. He also said disruptions to exports, including grain shipments, were expected to affect economic growth.

Powell acknowledged challenges facing Ukraine, including pressure on its economy, strikes on businesses and shortages of air defence systems, but said there were reasons for optimism.

He said Ukraine had already achieved a strategic objective by preventing Russia from taking control of the entire country and allowing a “free Ukraine in Europe” to determine its own direction.

Powell said the strategy was to apply enough pressure on Putin to encourage serious negotiations.

“Where we least expect it, Putin will be ready to negotiate,” he said, adding that the focus was on creating conditions for meaningful talks rather than waiting for Ukraine to surrender territory.

He said European countries and the United States should maintain communication with Moscow to avoid miscalculations and ensure that both sides understood each other’s positions.

Powell said predicting when the conflict would end was difficult, but Europe should remain prepared for negotiations whenever Russia was ready to engage seriously.kA/MF