Array
The endless media cheerleading for Zelensky and Ukraine is beginning to show some serious cracks in the face of reality. That same reality hasn’t seemed to do anything to dissuade the White House and certain Biden Republicans in the Senate from continuing to push for more billions of dollars for Kyiv for “as long as it takes.” But an increasing number of voices in the media now seem to admit that the time period in question could be very long indeed. There is also a growing consensus suggesting that Ukraine will likely never be able to “beat” Russia or drive the Russian army fully out of Ukrainian territory. Even the Associated Press noted the two-year anniversary of the war by saying that Ukraine’s future currently looks “bleak.”
The future looks bleak for war-weary Ukraine: It is beset by shortages in soldiers and ammunition, as well as doubts about the supply of Western aid. Ukrainian forces also face a Russian enemy that has recently seized the initiative on the battlefield.
Two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion captured nearly a quarter of the country, the stakes could not be higher for Kyiv. After a string of victories in the first year of the war, fortunes have turned for the Ukrainian military, which is dug in, outgunned and outnumbered against a more powerful opponent.
As the war enters its third year, here is a look at the situation on the ground, the challenges ahead and some of the potential consequences if Ukraine does not acquire the people, ammunition and assistance it needs to sustain the fight.
