Many thought the war in Ukraine which started earlier this year would be over by now, however almost eight months later there seems to be no end in sight. The war which started on Feb 24th as Russia invaded Ukraine in what Vladimir Putin described as a “special military operation” has progressed into what is looked to be a prolonged European conflict, the size of which has not been seen since World War 2.
Although the outlook of the initial invasion looked bleak for the Ukrainian defense forces, heavy support economically and militarily specifically from western countries has helped Ukraine greatly in the face of Russia’s numerical and technological advantage. Peace talks have to this point been futile in stopping the war as each side refuses to give in to each others demands. This has escalated recently due to Russia’s “referendums” which has essentially annexed 15% of Ukrainian territory.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently announced that he will not negotiate with Moscow until Putin is no longer President. With neither side refusing to back down, this conflict could very well turn into a continuous war for years to come and with recent events unfolding such as the sabotage of the Nord stream pipelines, Russia’s 300,000 military mobilization and even the alleged acquisition of Iranian drones by Russia’s armed forces, the risk of a global conflict could be a very real possibility.
Russia has recently asserted its position as a nuclear power with Vladimir Putin stating Russia would use “all means available” to defend Russian territory sparking fears that such a conflict, which Moscow believes is “unacceptable” is not completely off the table the longer this war continues.
