Russia, on the one hand, and Ukraine and its allies, on the other, have vowed to keep fighting a war with no end in sight, according to a New York Times news report.
This coincides with the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of its neighbor in Eastern Europe, as both Moscow and Kiev insisted on achieving victory on the battlefield.
Russian President Vladimir Putin prepared his country to wage a long war “step by step,” while US President Joe Biden said, “We will not tire” in seeking to ensure a democratic Ukraine.
At a press conference in the capital, Kiev, on Friday, February 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was “sure” of his country’s victory, describing victory as inevitable.
While Kiev received the first advances of Western tanks, Zelensky said: “You will do everything to achieve victory this year.”
In Moscow, the former Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, also announced on Friday that Moscow will “win” in Ukraine, stressing that his country is ready to move to the borders of Poland.
However, none of the leaders explained how this desired victory could be achieved, while referring to a war with no clear end.
“Putin is more committed than ever to his big win,” said Eugene Romer, a former US intelligence officer and director of the Russia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.
“The Ukrainians are more committed than ever to defeating Putin, even if at the most terrible price,” he added.
However, declaring a resolve to continue fighting is much easier than mobilizing resources and support to work towards victory on the battlefield.
While Ukraine increasingly draws its resources from Western countries, Russia relies on close relations and economic cooperation with China, India and many countries around the world, as well as the Russian public.
American and European leaders have publicly reiterated that it is up to Ukraine alone to determine the objectives of the conflict and decide when it is willing to negotiate an end to this war.
But some analysts believe that the risk of Russian escalation and the adverse effects on the global economy mean that it is in Washington’s interest to push Ukraine towards more realistic goals and negotiations with Moscow.
“Now is the time for the United States and its allies to engage directly in shaping Ukraine’s strategic goals, managing conflict, and pursuing the diplomatic endgame,” said Charles Kupchan, a former Obama administration official and now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Senior U.S. and European officials realize that they also have their own national interests that may not quite align with Kiev’s — the main reason is that while NATO countries will supply and train Ukrainians, they will not fight alongside them.
The United States is also carefully selecting the weapons it supplies to the Ukrainians, in an effort to ensure that NATO is not drawn into a larger war with Russia.