Where Is The Russia-Ukraine War Headed? – OpEd |
Since President Trump assumed office in his second term, a lot has been said about peaceful culmination of the Russia-Ukraine war. The President himself claimed that the end of the war is imminent. Though conditions for negotiated ceasefire gradually coalesce, the frontline remains entrenched in stalemate as Professor John Mearsheimer puts it ‘the conflict will be settled on the battlefield, period, end of the story.’
As of late 2025, the U.S. led high-level discussions to end Russia-Ukraine conflicts have intensified. Most notable are Alaska summit, talks in Berlin and recently Miami Peace Talks where officials have met to discuss the Ukraine Peace Plan, NATO-like security guarantees for Ukraine, territorial issues and economic reparations. These diplomatic overtures are mere theatrics, masking the harsh geopolitical and military realities that are driving Ukraine towards a strategic defeat.
President Putin outrightly rejected any compromise and reiterated Moscow’s commitment to the ‘liberation of its historical lands through military means’, in case Kyiv and its Western partners fail to adhere to substantive negotiations. Russia is still adhering to its maximalist ambitions.........