With the Russian invasion of Ukraine in its third year, the war does not have an apparent end. Instead, Russia is continuing its full-scale military incursion. The Russian Federation destroyed several Ukrainian cities and villages, and its war has killed thousands of Ukrainians. The Russians have had hundreds of thousands of casualties as well, but these losses do not appear to have phased the Russian government. Instead, the Russians are fully committed to their war.
Given this death and destruction, some members of the international community have called for peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Some argue that a ceasefire would save lives. Others believe the war cannot be won.
These takes, however, are misguided. Recent statements by Russian senior officials show that Russia has no intention of ending its invasion. For example, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now the Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said that there will not be peace talks until Ukraine entirely cedes to Russia. Similarly, Russian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed that his country “will do everything to finish” the war.
These statements do not give the impression that Russia wants negotiate peace. Rather, they suggest that the Russian Federation is committed to destroying Ukraine completely.
The international community has pursued two major areas to counter Russia’s action. One avenue has been supplying Ukraine with weapons it needs to win the war. Western technology and equipment helped the Ukrainians force the Russians out of central and northern Ukraine in 2022. They contributed to Ukraine’s destruction and disturbance of Russian naval capabilities in the Black Sea in 2023. This equipment has allowed Ukraine to liberate Russian-occupied territory in the east and south. This has seen a large reduction in........