{"id":16204,"date":"2026-02-24T03:42:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T03:42:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/four-years-on-ukraine-is-under-more-pressure-than-ever-so-is-russia\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T03:42:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T03:42:24","slug":"four-years-on-ukraine-is-under-more-pressure-than-ever-so-is-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/four-years-on-ukraine-is-under-more-pressure-than-ever-so-is-russia\/","title":{"rendered":"Four years on, Ukraine is under more pressure than ever. So is Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div class=\"sc-6c4043fd-0 iMiTqM sc-13344c9c-2 jbVSgv\">\n<div class=\"sc-f9e3ccff-0 cGFoDo\" readability=\"6.3137254901961\"><button aria-checked=\"false\" aria-label=\"Save article to read later\" role=\"switch\" type=\"button\" class=\"sc-f9e3ccff-1 vaiky\"><svg fill=\"none\" height=\"24\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" width=\"24\" class=\"sc-d1b14060-0 bRyYMS\"><path d=\"M5.75 4C5.75 3.86193 5.86193 3.75 6 3.75H18C18.1381 3.75 18.25 3.86193 18.25 4L18.25 19.7709L12.8004 16.9682C12.2981 16.7099 11.7019 16.7099 11.1996 16.9682L5.75 19.7709L5.75 4Z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"sc-f9e3ccff-2 lamxUD\">Save<\/span><\/button>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"sc-ba6ddcd9-0 BgjOX sc-d1b14060-3 bnLMbo\" role=\"tooltip\" readability=\"8.0816326530612\">\n<p class=\"sc-d1b14060-4 NcyxX\">You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n<p>Remove items from your saved list to add more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><button aria-label=\"Set font size to normal\" aria-pressed=\"true\" class=\"sc-f7fd8257-1 fKewKr\">A<\/button><button aria-label=\"Set font size to larger\" aria-pressed=\"false\" class=\"sc-f7fd8257-1 kfmQUR\">A<\/button><button aria-label=\"Set font size to very large\" aria-pressed=\"false\" class=\"sc-f7fd8257-1 kfmPpl\">A<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-80607c67-0 byCHjx\" readability=\"35.859249329759\">\n<p>There is a ruthless objective behind the Russian missile strikes that kill and wound civilians across Ukraine almost every day, and the future of the war is being shaped by whether survivors can defy the pitiless violence.<\/p>\n<p>The killing continues on the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion, when Russian President Vladimir Putin sent tanks rolling toward Kyiv in a bid to topple the government, but the attacks have yet to achieve his goal.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"sc-5119f468-1 krwUa-d\">\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 bXqpHm\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.273%2C$multiply_1.0648%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/575556fdbf81fc8700940f00cd0e8960602159f6, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.273%2C$multiply_2.1296%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/575556fdbf81fc8700940f00cd0e8960602159f6 2x\"><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.273%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/575556fdbf81fc8700940f00cd0e8960602159f6, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.273%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/575556fdbf81fc8700940f00cd0e8960602159f6 2x\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Russia marked the week before the February 24 anniversary by launching more than 1300 attack drones against Ukraine.\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_1.273,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/575556fdbf81fc8700940f00cd0e8960602159f6\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.273%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/575556fdbf81fc8700940f00cd0e8960602159f6, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.273%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/575556fdbf81fc8700940f00cd0e8960602159f6 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 bnWZMz\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><figcaption data-testid=\"figure-caption\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-0 hMRMLa\"><span>Russia marked the week before the February 24 anniversary by launching more than 1300 attack drones against Ukraine.<\/span><cite class=\"sc-4820f69c-2 jnumBu\"><span class=\"sc-4820f69c-3 jkEJCb\">NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/span><\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;Some of us are living in unbearable conditions,&rdquo; says Olena Davlikanova, an associate senior fellow at the Sahaidachny Security Centre in Ukraine and a senior fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis.<\/p>\n<div class=\"internal-linking-related-contents\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/12-weeks-jail-for-school-it-support-technician-who-took-upskirt-videos-of-teachers\/\" class=\"template-1\"><span class=\"cta\">News :<\/span><span class=\"postTitle\">&lt;div&gt;12 weeks' jail for school IT support technician who took upskirt videos of teachers&lt;\/div&gt;<\/span><\/a><\/div><p>&ldquo;What does it lead us to? It leads us to more hatred towards Russians. While in Moscow, their calculation is to make us go outside to protest and demand signing up to a peace deal, in reality, people just want more Russians to be killed.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"sc-5119f468-1 krwUa-d\">\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 bXqpHm\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.122%2C$multiply_1.0648%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/1ebf15df9976fba60341857525097b70e63caef3, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.122%2C$multiply_2.1296%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/1ebf15df9976fba60341857525097b70e63caef3 2x\"><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.122%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/1ebf15df9976fba60341857525097b70e63caef3, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.122%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/1ebf15df9976fba60341857525097b70e63caef3 2x\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shows no sign of giving up positions that have withstood Russian attacks for years.\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.122,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/1ebf15df9976fba60341857525097b70e63caef3\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.122%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/1ebf15df9976fba60341857525097b70e63caef3, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.122%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/1ebf15df9976fba60341857525097b70e63caef3 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 bnWZMz\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><figcaption data-testid=\"figure-caption\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-0 hMRMLa\"><span>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shows no sign of giving up positions that have withstood Russian attacks for years.<\/span><cite class=\"sc-4820f69c-2 jnumBu\"><span class=\"sc-4820f69c-3 jkEJCb\">AP<\/span><\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Davlikanova says this from Kyiv, where Russia has targeted energy systems with repeated bombings to shut down heating for millions of residents in the middle of the northern winter. Sometimes there is no electricity for 24 hours at a time. It has been minus 20 degrees outside, she says, and about 5 degrees inside her home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-13344c9c-3 wRvQT\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"sc-54c4a04e-0 eOWbJd adWrapper noPrint sc-3f16ee48-9 sc-13344c9c-4 blNacz bkwaHW\" data-testid=\"ad\"><small class=\"sc-54c4a04e-2 kRjajv\">Advertisement<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-80607c67-0 byCHjx\" readability=\"38.512585812357\">\n<p>While leaders talk of peace, progress is slow and a ceasefire seems unlikely despite Donald Trump&rsquo;s talk of a quick deal when he won his second term as American president. Putin not only wants Ukrainian territory but a settlement with Europe and America that cements Russian power. Ukraine, so far, will not give him this victory.<\/p>\n<p>And the options are not simply a binary choice between war and peace. There are multiple scenarios ahead as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his European supporters, as well as Trump and his envoys, negotiate the terms that might justify ceding ground to Putin.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"sc-5119f468-1 krwUa-d\">\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 bXqpHm\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.14%2C$multiply_1.0648%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/57fdd9ecba1b74e4f76654b7b1986ff1a052b964, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.14%2C$multiply_2.1296%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/57fdd9ecba1b74e4f76654b7b1986ff1a052b964 2x\"><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.14%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/57fdd9ecba1b74e4f76654b7b1986ff1a052b964, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.14%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/57fdd9ecba1b74e4f76654b7b1986ff1a052b964 2x\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Repeated Russian bombings have shut down heating for millions of residents in the middle of the northern winter.\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.14,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/57fdd9ecba1b74e4f76654b7b1986ff1a052b964\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.14%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/57fdd9ecba1b74e4f76654b7b1986ff1a052b964, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.14%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/57fdd9ecba1b74e4f76654b7b1986ff1a052b964 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 bnWZMz\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><figcaption data-testid=\"figure-caption\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-0 hMRMLa\"><span>Repeated Russian bombings have shut down heating for millions of residents in the middle of the northern winter.<\/span><cite class=\"sc-4820f69c-2 jnumBu\"><span class=\"sc-4820f69c-3 jkEJCb\">Getty Images<\/span><\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The options include a capitulation that would agree to Putin&rsquo;s most aggressive demands, including that Ukraine limit the size of its army and give up fortified positions that prevent Russian forces from gaining full control of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. They include holding out for a ceasefire on better terms, hoping that Putin relents. And they include a continued war of attrition &ndash; and even a Ukrainian escalation.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Ukraine is not ready to give up the most fortified positions,&rdquo; says Davlikanova. &ldquo;The Russians were unable to take them militarily for more than a decade, and we do not understand why some of our partners push us to do this. This would be a suicidal act.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"internal-linking-related-contents\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/migrant-acquitted-in-first-trial-over-us-border-military-zones\/\" class=\"template-1\"><span class=\"cta\">News :<\/span><span class=\"postTitle\">Migrant acquitted in first trial over US border military zones<\/span><\/a><\/div><p>This is ultimately about whether Ukraine should trust Putin to respect a new border &ndash; either official or de facto &ndash; in a peace deal. The answer, so far, is that Ukrainian and European leaders believe Putin would one day launch a further invasion, so they will not accept peace terms that give him a strategic advantage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-13344c9c-3 wRvQT\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"sc-54c4a04e-0 eOWbJd adWrapper noPrint sc-3f16ee48-9 sc-13344c9c-4 blNacz bkwaHW\" data-testid=\"ad\"><small class=\"sc-54c4a04e-2 kRjajv\">Advertisement<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-80607c67-0 byCHjx\" readability=\"39.778597785978\">\n<p>Russia holds about 70 per cent of the Donetsk Oblast and demands control of &ldquo;fortress&rdquo; cities such as Kramatorsk, but Zelensky shows no sign of giving up positions that have withstood Russian attacks for years.<\/p>\n<p>Trump might ease the Ukrainian fears by offering a security guarantee that delivers US support if Russia ever breaks the terms of a peace deal &ndash; akin to a NATO pact that treats a Russian incursion as the trigger for American military help. Trump, however, remains vague about the fine print on any security guarantee. Ukraine simply cannot trust America to come to its defence.<\/p>\n<p>So the cruelty continues. More than 15,000 civilians have been killed and another 41,378 injured since February 2022, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, or HRMMU. &ldquo;The situation has demonstrably worsened,&rdquo; its head, Danielle Bell, said last week. Civilian casualties in 2025 were 31 per cent higher than in 2024 and 70 per cent higher than in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Russia marked the week before the February 24 anniversary by launching more than 1300 attack drones against Ukraine, as well as 1400 guided aerial bombs and 96 missiles, according to the Ukrainian government. Zelensky blamed Russia for what authorities described as a &ldquo;terrorist attack&rdquo; in Lviv, in the far west of Ukraine, that killed a police officer and injured 25 others.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"sc-5119f468-1 krwUa-d\">\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 bXqpHm\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_1.0648%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/b7344ab040285902be9cba91046b51df22b29802, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_2.1296%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/b7344ab040285902be9cba91046b51df22b29802 2x\"><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/b7344ab040285902be9cba91046b51df22b29802, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/b7344ab040285902be9cba91046b51df22b29802 2x\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The conflict has killed more than 15,000 civilians and injured more than 41,000 since February 2022.\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.151,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/b7344ab040285902be9cba91046b51df22b29802\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/b7344ab040285902be9cba91046b51df22b29802, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/b7344ab040285902be9cba91046b51df22b29802 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 bnWZMz\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><figcaption data-testid=\"figure-caption\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-0 hMRMLa\"><span>The conflict has killed more than 15,000 civilians and injured more than 41,000 since February 2022.<\/span><cite class=\"sc-4820f69c-2 jnumBu\"><span class=\"sc-4820f69c-3 jkEJCb\">Getty Images<\/span><\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;Moscow continues to invest in strikes more than in diplomacy,&rdquo; Zelensky said on social media. &ldquo;That is why we must bolster our air defence.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-13344c9c-3 wRvQT\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"sc-54c4a04e-0 eOWbJd adWrapper noPrint sc-3f16ee48-9 sc-13344c9c-4 blNacz bkwaHW\" data-testid=\"ad\"><small class=\"sc-54c4a04e-2 kRjajv\">Advertisement<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-80607c67-0 byCHjx\" readability=\"36.140750670241\">\n<p>Can Ukraine fight Russia to a standstill, if not a victory? It faces the immense challenge of countering a neighbour with a bigger population, industrial base and military.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In current circumstances, it&rsquo;s quite difficult to see that Ukraine could hold Russia back and not cede territory,&rdquo; says Neil Melvin, director of international security at the Royal United Services Institute in London.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s because four years into the war, essentially we have an attritional conflict, and that reflects the asymmetry of resources. Russia has more people, more equipment and more money to bring to the fight. Ukraine is gradually trading territory to grind down the Russians. And the Russians are doing the same. They&rsquo;re trying to grind down the Ukrainians.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<aside data-testid=\"related-story\" class=\"sc-4dc7bff5-0 QbJUT\">\n<h2 data-testid=\"related-story-heading\" class=\"sc-4dc7bff5-1 fNPBEP\">Related Article<\/h2>\n<div data-an-position=\"1\" imagepositions=\"top\" data-testid=\"story-tile\" class=\"sc-679b6ed4-0 cMGLSH\">\n<figure imagesizes=\"[object Object]\" class=\"sc-8825a2fb-0 hUTlgn\">\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 bXqpHm\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.0342%2C$multiply_0.2805%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_55\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/11beda8ea31ff61e9ef7727e3f79e0135c6be2c7c301c534ea0b6220fff5df9b, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.0342%2C$multiply_0.5609%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_55\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/11beda8ea31ff61e9ef7727e3f79e0135c6be2c7c301c534ea0b6220fff5df9b 2x\"><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.0342%2C$multiply_0.2842%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_55\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/11beda8ea31ff61e9ef7727e3f79e0135c6be2c7c301c534ea0b6220fff5df9b, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.0342%2C$multiply_0.5685%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_55\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/11beda8ea31ff61e9ef7727e3f79e0135c6be2c7c301c534ea0b6220fff5df9b 2x\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Ukraine map animated\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_1.0342,%24multiply_0.5127,%24ratio_1.777778,%24width_1059,%24x_0,%24y_55\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/11beda8ea31ff61e9ef7727e3f79e0135c6be2c7c301c534ea0b6220fff5df9b\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.0342%2C$multiply_0.5127%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_55\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/11beda8ea31ff61e9ef7727e3f79e0135c6be2c7c301c534ea0b6220fff5df9b, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.0342%2C$multiply_1.0255%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_55\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/11beda8ea31ff61e9ef7727e3f79e0135c6be2c7c301c534ea0b6220fff5df9b 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 jiJqza\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Melvin says Ukraine has to wage this war with a limited economy and a limited military, troubled by increasing levels of desertion. It has a technical edge against Russia in some areas, such as the use of sea drones to target Russian ships in the Black Sea, but has a disadvantage in others. Russia brings bigger numbers to the arms race: it is capable of sending more missiles and drones than Ukraine can send in response.<\/p>\n<p>Putin also has the capacity to order waves of soldiers against Ukrainian defences at a staggering cost, reflecting his absolute control in the Kremlin after years of eliminating rivals and centralising his power.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-13344c9c-3 wRvQT\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"sc-54c4a04e-0 eOWbJd adWrapper noPrint sc-3f16ee48-9 sc-13344c9c-4 blNacz bkwaHW\" data-testid=\"ad\"><small class=\"sc-54c4a04e-2 kRjajv\">Advertisement<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-80607c67-0 byCHjx\" readability=\"35.445757250269\">\n<p>Russian forces have suffered nearly 1.2 million casualties over the past four years, according to estimates issued three weeks ago by Seth Jones and Riley McCabe at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. That is greater than any losses by any major power since World War II.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;After seizing the initiative in 2024, Russian forces have advanced at an average rate of between 15 and 70 metres per day in their most prominent offensives &ndash; slower than almost any major offensive campaign in any war in the last century,&rdquo; they say.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"sc-5119f468-1 krwUa-d\">\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 bXqpHm\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.187%2C$multiply_1.0648%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/7f55aa1ee8dae73591d22fa13ad7e4e282ea3d84, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.187%2C$multiply_2.1296%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/7f55aa1ee8dae73591d22fa13ad7e4e282ea3d84 2x\"><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.187%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/7f55aa1ee8dae73591d22fa13ad7e4e282ea3d84, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.187%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/7f55aa1ee8dae73591d22fa13ad7e4e282ea3d84 2x\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Russian leader Vladimir Putin has tried to justify his war by seeking a new security regime across the continent.\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.187,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/7f55aa1ee8dae73591d22fa13ad7e4e282ea3d84\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.187%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/7f55aa1ee8dae73591d22fa13ad7e4e282ea3d84, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.187%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/7f55aa1ee8dae73591d22fa13ad7e4e282ea3d84 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 bnWZMz\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><figcaption data-testid=\"figure-caption\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-0 hMRMLa\"><span>Russian leader Vladimir Putin has tried to justify his war by seeking a new security regime across the continent.<\/span><cite class=\"sc-4820f69c-2 jnumBu\"><span class=\"sc-4820f69c-3 jkEJCb\">AP<\/span><\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Desperate for more troops, Russia has relied on an estimated 10,000 soldiers from North Korea and is said to have recruited 1000 from Kenya. While the Russian economy is undeniably weak as sanctions take their toll, Putin seems willing to send more fighters to his &ldquo;meat grinder&rdquo; in Ukraine despite the losses.<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine is short of the supplies it needs to defend its people on the home front or go on the attack on the battlefield. For air defence, the country relies on the Patriot systems made in the US: Raytheon makes the control systems and radar, while Lockheed Martin makes the interceptor missiles. Europe funds the supply of some of these to Ukraine, but cannot get enough.<\/p>\n<aside data-testid=\"related-story\" class=\"sc-4dc7bff5-0 QbJUT\">\n<h2 data-testid=\"related-story-heading\" class=\"sc-4dc7bff5-1 fNPBEP\">Related Article<\/h2>\n<div data-an-position=\"1\" imagepositions=\"top\" data-testid=\"story-tile\" class=\"sc-679b6ed4-0 cMGLSH\">\n<figure imagesizes=\"[object Object]\" class=\"sc-8825a2fb-0 hUTlgn\">\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 bXqpHm\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_3.3726114649681525%2C$multiply_0.2805%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_53\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/29507b0fc8a8bee59f7658e5308069d38c9d1afb, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_3.3726114649681525%2C$multiply_0.5609%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_53\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/29507b0fc8a8bee59f7658e5308069d38c9d1afb 2x\"><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_3.3726114649681525%2C$multiply_0.2842%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_53\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/29507b0fc8a8bee59f7658e5308069d38c9d1afb, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_3.3726114649681525%2C$multiply_0.5685%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_53\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/29507b0fc8a8bee59f7658e5308069d38c9d1afb 2x\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Footage of Russian and North Korean troops under fire.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_3.3726114649681525,%24multiply_0.5127,%24ratio_1.777778,%24width_1059,%24x_0,%24y_53\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/29507b0fc8a8bee59f7658e5308069d38c9d1afb\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_3.3726114649681525%2C$multiply_0.5127%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_53\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/29507b0fc8a8bee59f7658e5308069d38c9d1afb, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_3.3726114649681525%2C$multiply_1.0255%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_53\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/29507b0fc8a8bee59f7658e5308069d38c9d1afb 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 jiJqza\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>&ldquo;Europe is unable to substitute those systems produced by the US,&rdquo; says Marianna Fakhurdinova, a fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis and also at the Transatlantic Dialogue Centre in the US. But there is another problem, and it goes far beyond defensive systems. Ukraine is hamstrung when it tries to destroy Russian bases that launch attacks on civilians.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-13344c9c-3 wRvQT\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"sc-54c4a04e-0 eOWbJd adWrapper noPrint sc-3f16ee48-9 sc-13344c9c-4 blNacz bkwaHW\" data-testid=\"ad\"><small class=\"sc-54c4a04e-2 kRjajv\">Advertisement<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-80607c67-0 byCHjx\" readability=\"146.52400186422\">\n<p>&ldquo;No one should think that air defence is sufficient,&rdquo; says Kurt Volker, a former US ambassador to NATO (appointed in the Bush administration) and a special representative to Ukraine from 2017 to 2019 (during the first Trump administration). He is also a distinguished fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis and spoke alongside Fakhurdinova and others in a media briefing last Friday on the future of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There is no way Ukraine will ever be able to take down 600 projectiles a night, three to four times a week,&rdquo; Volker says. &ldquo;This is simply not doable. That&rsquo;s why Ukraine needs effective long-range systems in order to take out missile factories, drone factories, fuel facilities, platforms that are delivering drones and missiles.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is what needs to happen, and the reluctance of both Europe and the United States to do more on long-range weapons is very frustrating because there is no air defence solution to protecting Ukrainian citizens alone.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>This highlights a scenario that offers an alternative to the status quo or a forced peace. It is about giving Ukraine more resources to go on the attack.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"sc-5119f468-1 krwUa-d\">\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 bXqpHm\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.273%2C$multiply_1.0648%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/272a5f268288f738c3d6fec1dd8b58c82c641012, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.273%2C$multiply_2.1296%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/272a5f268288f738c3d6fec1dd8b58c82c641012 2x\"><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.273%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/272a5f268288f738c3d6fec1dd8b58c82c641012, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.273%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/272a5f268288f738c3d6fec1dd8b58c82c641012 2x\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Russian bombardment of civilian targets, in a hideous drumbeat over four years, invites a response.\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_1.273,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/272a5f268288f738c3d6fec1dd8b58c82c641012\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.273%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/272a5f268288f738c3d6fec1dd8b58c82c641012, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_1.273%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/272a5f268288f738c3d6fec1dd8b58c82c641012 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 bnWZMz\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><figcaption data-testid=\"figure-caption\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-0 hMRMLa\"><span>The Russian bombardment of civilian targets, in a hideous drumbeat over four years, invites a response.<\/span><cite class=\"sc-4820f69c-2 jnumBu\"><span class=\"sc-4820f69c-3 jkEJCb\">Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images<\/span><\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Davlikanova, speaking in Kyiv, says the global response should be to empower Ukraine to stop Russia. First, she says, there should be a far more vigorous program to stop Russian oil exports using the &ldquo;shadow fleet&rdquo; of tankers flying flags of convenience from other countries. Second, expanded air defences. Third, greater capacity for Ukraine to go on the offensive.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We are working on our long-range missiles to convey a message that if we are being targeted, we will have the capacity to retaliate every time,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;This is a priority for Ukraine.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>This means an escalation of the war and an increase in the risk of a broader conflict with a nuclear power, but the Russian bombardment of civilian targets, in a hideous drumbeat over four years, invites a response. If Ukraine does not collapse in submission, it will retaliate in anger.<\/p>\n<aside data-testid=\"related-story\" class=\"sc-4dc7bff5-0 QbJUT\">\n<h2 data-testid=\"related-story-heading\" class=\"sc-4dc7bff5-1 fNPBEP\">Related Article<\/h2>\n<div data-an-position=\"1\" imagepositions=\"top\" data-testid=\"story-tile\" class=\"sc-679b6ed4-0 cMGLSH\">\n<figure imagesizes=\"[object Object]\" class=\"sc-8825a2fb-0 hUTlgn\">\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 bXqpHm\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.5295%2C$multiply_0.2805%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/815b126377698a7654f5eb7132102ec4b681e060, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.5295%2C$multiply_0.5609%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/815b126377698a7654f5eb7132102ec4b681e060 2x\"><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.5295%2C$multiply_0.2842%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/815b126377698a7654f5eb7132102ec4b681e060, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.5295%2C$multiply_0.5685%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/815b126377698a7654f5eb7132102ec4b681e060 2x\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Zoya Shaposhnik looks up at the hole in her ceiling after a missile strike near their home in Krasnohorivka in June 2022. \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.5295,%24multiply_0.5127,%24ratio_1.777778,%24width_1059,%24x_0,%24y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/815b126377698a7654f5eb7132102ec4b681e060\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.5295%2C$multiply_0.5127%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/815b126377698a7654f5eb7132102ec4b681e060, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.5295%2C$multiply_1.0255%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/815b126377698a7654f5eb7132102ec4b681e060 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 jiJqza\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>No matter how much Trump talks about peace talks, European leaders are wary of a deal that rewards Putin and heightens the danger from Russia. They want to inflict more pain on Putin, not ease the pressure at the negotiating table.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Moscow is not invincible,&rdquo; the European Union&rsquo;s foreign affairs high representative, Kaja Kallas, said at a meeting of European Union defence ministers last Friday. &ldquo;Its army is suffering record casualties, and its economy is under heavy strain. But Putin won&rsquo;t end this war until the costs are higher than the benefits. And that is the point we must reach.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of Trump&rsquo;s agenda, European leaders are also seeing greater daily threats from Russia, such as drone flights over civilian and military airfields, foreign interference, disinformation campaigns and sabotage of railways and other infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>European security and defence leaders are increasingly frank about the Kremlin&rsquo;s use of &ldquo;hybrid&rdquo; warfare, and this is a factor in every decision about support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"sc-5119f468-1 krwUa-d\">\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 bXqpHm\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.096%2C$multiply_1.0648%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/436a1f2e41dc73b899fddeba5532c591c6e181c9, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.096%2C$multiply_2.1296%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/436a1f2e41dc73b899fddeba5532c591c6e181c9 2x\"><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.096%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/436a1f2e41dc73b899fddeba5532c591c6e181c9, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.096%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/436a1f2e41dc73b899fddeba5532c591c6e181c9 2x\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A man walks on a sidewalk covered in anti-drone netting in Izyum, Ukraine. \" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.096,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/436a1f2e41dc73b899fddeba5532c591c6e181c9\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.096%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/436a1f2e41dc73b899fddeba5532c591c6e181c9, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.096%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/436a1f2e41dc73b899fddeba5532c591c6e181c9 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 bnWZMz\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><figcaption data-testid=\"figure-caption\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-0 hMRMLa\"><span>A man walks on a sidewalk covered in anti-drone netting in Izyum, Ukraine. <\/span><cite class=\"sc-4820f69c-2 jnumBu\"><span class=\"sc-4820f69c-3 jkEJCb\">Getty Images<\/span><\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;We are now operating in a space between peace and war,&rdquo; the head of British spy agency MI6, Blaise Metreweli, said in a speech last year. &ldquo;Russia is testing us in the grey zone with tactics that are just below the threshold of war.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>German general Wolf-J&uuml;rgen Stahl, the president of the Federal Academy for Security Policy, said last week that his country was under constant attack from Moscow. &ldquo;We are going to experience things we cannot even imagine right now,&rdquo; he said in a speech. &ldquo;When I see how Putin has acted up to now, and the way that he is, in my assessment, on a mission against the West, then there is no question of whether he will use military means. If he gets the opportunity, he will use them.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>This helps explain the frustration in Europe with Trump&rsquo;s ideas about a peace agreement. Europe, after all, is paying for Ukraine&rsquo;s defence after Trump chose to stop funding the supply of weapons, so it will not blindly agree to Trump&rsquo;s decision on the terms of the peace.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"sc-5119f468-1 krwUa-d\">\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 bXqpHm\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_1.0648%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/647d49aab4740425a7ed149c8b9864d3439e0f76, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_2.1296%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/647d49aab4740425a7ed149c8b9864d3439e0f76 2x\"><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_0.9206%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/647d49aab4740425a7ed149c8b9864d3439e0f76, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_1.8413%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/647d49aab4740425a7ed149c8b9864d3439e0f76 2x\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"There is deep frustration in Europe with Donald Trump&rsquo;s ideas about a peace agreement.\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.378,%24multiply_0.7725,%24ratio_1.5,%24width_756,%24x_0,%24y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/647d49aab4740425a7ed149c8b9864d3439e0f76\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/647d49aab4740425a7ed149c8b9864d3439e0f76, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.378%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/647d49aab4740425a7ed149c8b9864d3439e0f76 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 bnWZMz\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><figcaption data-testid=\"figure-caption\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-0 hMRMLa\"><span>There is deep frustration in Europe with Donald Trump&rsquo;s ideas about a peace agreement.<\/span><cite class=\"sc-4820f69c-2 jnumBu\"><span class=\"sc-4820f69c-3 jkEJCb\">Bloomberg<\/span><\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;We are buying American weapons to deliver to Ukraine,&rdquo; Polish Foreign Minister Rados&#322;aw Sikorski said last week. &ldquo;If we are paying, if this is affecting our security, not just Ukraine&rsquo;s, then we deserve a seat at the table.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>There can be no agreement on the war in Ukraine without considering the broader impact on Europe, for the simple reason that Putin has tried to justify his war by seeking a new security regime across the continent. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Russians want a different kind of European security: essentially, the Americans out, the Russians in as a great power in Europe, and a world in which European affairs are decided by the big countries,&rdquo; says Melvin at the Royal United Services Institute. &ldquo;In a way, it&rsquo;s a return to a 19th-century vision of European security, not the modern idea of sovereign equality.<\/p>\n<aside data-testid=\"related-story\" class=\"sc-4dc7bff5-0 QbJUT\">\n<h2 data-testid=\"related-story-heading\" class=\"sc-4dc7bff5-1 fNPBEP\">Editor&rsquo;s pick<\/h2>\n<div data-an-position=\"1\" imagepositions=\"top\" data-testid=\"story-tile\" class=\"sc-679b6ed4-0 cMGLSH\">\n<figure imagesizes=\"[object Object]\" class=\"sc-8825a2fb-0 hUTlgn\">\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 bXqpHm\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.51708984375%2C$multiply_0.2805%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_75\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/56baacdad1594b7177188fa43f9aa1460465af91, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.51708984375%2C$multiply_0.5609%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_75\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/56baacdad1594b7177188fa43f9aa1460465af91 2x\"><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.51708984375%2C$multiply_0.2842%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_75\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/56baacdad1594b7177188fa43f9aa1460465af91, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.51708984375%2C$multiply_0.5685%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_75\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/56baacdad1594b7177188fa43f9aa1460465af91 2x\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Navalny Putin frog\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/%24zoom_0.51708984375,%24multiply_0.5127,%24ratio_1.777778,%24width_1059,%24x_0,%24y_75\/t_crop_custom\/q_86,f_auto\/56baacdad1594b7177188fa43f9aa1460465af91\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.51708984375%2C$multiply_0.5127%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_75\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/56baacdad1594b7177188fa43f9aa1460465af91, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.51708984375%2C$multiply_1.0255%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_75\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/56baacdad1594b7177188fa43f9aa1460465af91 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 jiJqza\"><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>&ldquo;So we&rsquo;re entering a confrontation when both sides are rearming. It is a classic security dilemma, in that neither side can feel safe, because they always feel that the other side has more weapons or is building up more weapons.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Four years after the full-scale invasion, Ukraine is under more pressure than ever. And so is Russia. The war of attrition appears almost certain to continue, despite Trump&rsquo;s pressure on Ukraine to sign away its territory in the hope of a lasting peace. Ukraine cannot accept a deal that leaves it exposed to a later invasion. Europe will not want a peace that emboldens Putin.<\/p>\n<p>There are myriad variables that could alter these deliberations, given the elections ahead for the United States and Europe, but it is hard to avoid a basic calculation. After four years, it seems the only way to halt a threat will be to defeat it.<\/p>\n<p><b><i>Get a note directly from our foreign <\/i><\/b><b><i>correspondents <\/i><\/b><b><i>on what&rsquo;s making headlines around the world. <\/i><\/b><b><i>Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter<\/i><\/b><b><i>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><sub>Four years on, Ukraine is under more pressure than ever. So is Russia<\/sub><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. AAA There is a ruthless objective behind the Russian missile strikes that kill and wound civilians across Ukraine almost every day, and the future of the war is being shaped by whether survivors can defy the&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/four-years-on-ukraine-is-under-more-pressure-than-ever-so-is-russia\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;Four years on, Ukraine is under more pressure than ever. So is Russia&rdquo;<\/span> &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16205,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16204\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}