The Ukrainians lost the war with Russia the moment the first shot was fired in anger.
Maneuvered into an anti-Russian posture by the US, with the indefatigable (and now sidelined) Victoria Nuland running the pro-West show in Kiev’s Maidan Square and paving the way for the diminutive comedian Zelensky rising as the most unlikely “president” of an anti-Russian Ukraine, who was immediately challenged by the Russians.
Two-plus years into a brutal war of annihilation, with the Russians carefully calibrating their combat strategies in ways signaling this conflict is none of the West’s business, young Ukrainians are voting with their feet against conscription refusing to become fodder for the Russian guns, which methodically smash Zelenskyy et.al. in a brutal battle of attrition.
Ending the conflict is still most unlikely given the US-NATO obsession of tweaking with the apocalyptic possibility of a WWIII, which Putin is obviously and unhesitantly prepared to fight.
Ukraine’s domestic front is cracking fast and Zelensky’s recruiters are ramping up their chase of the young running to cross the border and evade being blown up in defending oligarchic billionaire interests.
Stand by for the foreordained finale.