UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell has warned that Europe must brace for a difficult winter to sustain economic pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, telling an audience of Ukrainian officials and international backers in Kyiv that the pain from sanctions must be "swallowed" rather than eased. His comments, made at the Yalta European Strategy forum, come as Russia intensifies attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and frontline cities, and as Vladimir Putin continues to insist Ukraine will "crumble" under military pressure, including new jet-powered drone strikes and threats to fortress cities in Donbas.

Powell, who helped negotiate the Good Friday Agreement, argued that reported Russian escalation actually signals Putin is feeling the strain, and said Ukraine has "already won" by preventing a full Russian takeover, urging against pressuring Kyiv to cede territory for peace. He noted Ukraine faces an estimated £7.4 billion in damage from Russian attacks this year, and said US President Trump was no longer favouring Putin's land-for-peace proposal. Powell called for EU countries to resist reverting to sanctioned Russian gas despite rising energy costs, while separately, Britain faces its own pressures from a possible "triple whammy" of higher energy bills, interest rates and taxes this winter.