Drone and missile attacks are still taking place regularly in Kyiv. In this situation, former U.S. President Donald Trump will return to office in January. Before that, U.S. President Joe Biden has granted Ukraine permission to launch American rocket strikes inside Russia.
Russia has threatened to retaliate strongly in response to such attacks. However, Trump, once back in the White House, may change this policy. Military experts suggest that even with this change, the course of the 33-month-long war is unlikely to change significantly.
Thousands of lives have been lost in this war, and millions have sought refuge in other countries. This is the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. The military damage on both sides has been kept secret, and Western countries have estimated the losses based on intelligence, with large discrepancies between the figures reported by different countries. However, all reports agree that both sides have suffered substantial losses, with many casualties.
Every region in Ukraine has been affected by the war, with nearly every family in mourning. From major cities to distant villages, military funerals have been frequent, and air raid sirens have sounded repeatedly, even at night. People have sought shelter and endured sleepless nights.
Trump’s Return The Ukraine war has now entered its 1,000th day as of Tuesday, November 19. Fighting continues on various fronts in Ukraine. With Trump’s return to office in the U.S., the question arises: what decisions will he make regarding this war? Questions have been raised about the future of U.S. military aid to Ukraine and the united front against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Since the start of the war, no talks have taken place between the two countries. Before any possible discussions, both countries may want to increase their military strength. Ukraine and Russia may try to gain more territory in the battlefield before agreeing to negotiate.
Russia has received drones from Iran and North Korea has sent about 11,000 troops to the battlefield in Kursk. A senior Kyiv official has claimed that North Korea has the capability to send up to 100,000 troops.
Ukraine has held parts of Kursk in Russia since August, sending its most capable soldiers there. Ukraine claims that Russia has sent 50,000 troops to that region, and it wants to capture more areas in eastern Ukraine.
As winter approaches, Russia recently launched 120 missiles and 90 drones in a single day. In this context, allowing Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia with U.S. rockets and continue providing military and financial aid to Ukraine has become even more critical.
Over the past two years, Ukraine’s economy has seen moderate growth, though compared to pre-war conditions, it has suffered significant damage, especially in the steel and agriculture sectors.
Russian Claims and NATO Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently stated that he would make every effort to end the war through diplomatic negotiations next year. However, before any talks can begin, a ceasefire must be declared, and Ukraine must be given appropriate security guarantees.
The Kremlin has said that President Putin announced back in June that Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO must end, and that Ukraine must withdraw its forces from four areas. However, Ukraine rejected this proposal outright.
Last Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke to Putin on the phone for the first time in nearly two years. Zelensky said that Putin had been isolated, and this conversation helped reduce that isolation. However, Zelensky has warned that genuine peace is needed, but after 1,000 days, the question remains: how will peace come?
Germany’s Stance Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany has stated that Germany will not provide long-range missiles to Ukraine. He made it clear that Germany’s stance on this issue will not change. On the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Brazil, Scholz emphasized that Germany believes in supporting Ukraine but wants to do so carefully.
Scholz said, “The weapons we have provided so far cannot reach deep into Russia.”
