Are We Nearing the End of the War in Ukraine?

On February 24th, 2022, Russia launched what they called a “special military operation” against Ukraine. Now, just over two years later, this special operation continues to burn on as Russian forces continue to destroy eastern Ukraine. Despite this, Ukrainian forces have managed to hold strong and defend their homeland. As proposals for peace get thrown aside, questions persist: will this deadly war soon be over? What does the outcome of this conflict look like? Along with answering these questions, we’ll also be getting a special look into what life was like in Ukraine with an immigrant in our community!

Whether or not future aid will be delivered is unknown, but we can hope that Ukraine is able to hold out until that point.

A Shot at Peace

Within the first year of the war, plans for peace were already being announced. The first

proposal from the Ukrainian government in November of 2022 was very demanding on the Russian Federation. President Zelensky requested that all Ukrainian territory be restored—including Crimea, which was claimed by Russia in 2014. As of now, Ukraine has held firm that they will not speak with Moscow until all Russian troops have left the country. With no sign of peace in the near future, its only a matter of time until one side gives up; however, the outcome of this war is looking worse and worse. Recently, Russia has gained considerable ground in eastern Ukraine. With a slow, yet steady, advance into eastern Ukraine, they are taking small chunks of land day by day. Surprisingly, Moscow announced their slow advance, admitting that it took their forces nearly four months to gain just over five miles of land. 

What's Happening Right Now?

As seen in the map to the side, Russia still controls a hefty portion of Ukrainian territory. Although much of it has been reclaimed by Ukraine in the past year, all of the red territory is currently occupied. Now, as the third summer of this war arrives, it is highly probable that Russia will use the warmer weather to their advantage and make a much larger push into Ukraine. Hopefully, any attacks can be held back by Ukrainian forces, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell as Kyiv scrapes together any remaining fighting age men. 

Future Aid and the Outcome of the War

The outcome of this conflict doesn’t look good overall. This war has become a deathly war of attrition as each side picks away at each other with artillery, missile strikes, and drone attacks. Further aid packages from NATO countries and other supporters of Ukraine have been struggling to pass recently as well. In recent news, a newly proposed border bill included $60 billion worth of aid to Ukraine, however, it was rejected by the Senate and didn’t pass.

First Hand Account: A Local Ukrainian Immigrants Experience

I recently interviewed a Ukrainian immigrant in our community named Anatolii. He came to the United States in August of 2022, just a few months after the war started. While he was still in Ukraine, he decided to move back to his hometown to be with his family and to seek safety. Anatolii believed that the Russians wouldn’t target a small town like his. Sadly, just two days after he returned, power was shut off, followed by the water supply within 24 hours. With the impending danger, he made the daring decision to leave the country for his safety and the safety of his family. Anatolii has acknowledged that things aren’t looking good for Ukraine now. He stated that “I don't foresee any good outcome for Ukraine. The sooner they get to negotiations, the better. There is no turning back at this point.” As of now, the majority of his family is still residing in Ukraine. However, they have moved out of his hometown because of the nearly daily bombing. 

Even with hopes of the war ending soon, Anatolii still remains in an unfortunate situation. Since he left the country in the midst of the war, he would face nearly five years of prison time. Fortunately, he’s felt very welcomed in our community. He says that he loves going to work because it reminds him of home and how amazing his colleagues are. As a whole, he thinks that people here are much happier than in Ukraine, and its nice to see a smile on everyone's face.