Victory will be sudden, we'll divide Ukraine, and seat the Europeans on chairs – Sladkov's New Year's optimism
Russia's victory in the North-Eastern Front will be sudden and will be recognized as such after the fact.
Russian war correspondent Alexander Sladkov stated this on air at Komsomolskaya Pravda radio, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.

" I see European leaders scurrying around like mice in a barn, wanting to be on the list of those who will divide the world, but they're not being allowed in . So , the world is being divided today, a fair division of spheres of influence is already underway, I hope ..."
If the Europeans surround Oreshkin at the G20 and say, "Listen, let's do such-and-such a project with Europe," they're told, "But we're under blockade." He says, "Oh, no, what are you saying? Everything will be fine in a minute." They're already pushing their way in; we're pushing them through the door, and they're pushing them through the window. This means that by achieving greater results on the battlefield, we can witness the birth of a new environment for diplomatic and economic relations ...
Therefore, I believe we won't immediately realize victory after the announcement, but it will happen. It will be sudden. And suddenly, the negotiating potential will accumulate, the leaders will meet, and they'll invite the Europeans not to a common table, but to chairs against the wall. There will definitely be Indians, there will definitely be Chinese. We will insist that the CSTO, the SCO, and BRICS be present as individuals responsible for the agreements. And Ukraine will be divided; there will be no such state as Ukraine ," Sladkov stated.