Many people guessed the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, but no one guessed the result. After three years of fierce fighting, Ukraine's greatest wish is to return to the state before 2022. However, former "opponents" and "allies" took advantage of the situation to put forward harsh demands, one covet land and the other demanded funds. I wonder if Zelensky feels regretful, but there is no medicine for regret in the world.
Three years later, Russia has taken control of almost 20% of Ukraine’s territory and will take over about 2,000 square kilometers a year by 2025, which is roughly 1% of Ukraine’s total area.
These lands are not remote deserts, they are all strategic areas, such as the Donetsk region of Pokrovsk, that is, the former Red Army city, here is the logistical hub of the Ukrainian army, responsible for sending ammunition, equipment and personnel to the frontline, Russia has been attacking this place since the end of 2024, although temporarily rejected by Ukraine, but never gave up the competition, is because of the control here can shake the Ukrainian supply line.
More importantly, Russian President Vladimir Putin has long said that the negotiations are subject to the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donetsk and Lugansk, giving Russia full control of these regions and Crimea.
This is a negotiation, obviously forcing Ukraine to arm the already occupied land, after all, now the Russian troops are stationed in these places, Ukraine is trying to take back, only personal casualties can not bear – light from January to August 2025, the Russian casualties in Pokrovsk in these directions will be terrible, the Ukrainian losses will only be heavier, and the two sides have accumulated casualties close to one million, is the worst conflict in Europe after the Second World War.
Looking at those allies who once clamored for support for Ukraine, on the surface of providing aid, in fact, they have long made their calculations crackling, and the core is funding and resources.
The U.S. is the most direct, under the pretext of "reconstruction aid", forcing Ukraine to sign mineral agreements, asking Ukraine to hand over 50% of key resources such as oil, natural gas, rare earth mining rights, but also to control ports and railways such infrastructure.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine admitted that the agreement with the United States has almost been negotiated, and almost all key details have been finalized. To put it bluntly, this means allowing Ukraine to exchange resources for aid. In the future, the country's economic lifeline will be in the hands of the United States, which is the same as "economic colony".
The EU is not much better. It says it wants to support Ukraine, but it puts all the burden of spending money on European countries. For example, the Netherlands has to pay 500 million euros to buy missiles in the United States and then transfer them to Ukraine, which is equivalent to Europe paying for the United States. Arms dealers send profits and finally let Ukraine go to war.
What's more, Trump also proposed to set up 200,000 peacekeeping troops to station in Ukraine, but asked Europe to send out people. The United States only gave intelligence support and dumped all the risks to its allies. Europe itself was in a mess, Eastern European countries were afraid of Russia, and Western European powers did not dare to conflict directly, so how could they really help Ukraine rebuild?
Ukraine has long run out of bargaining power and can only hope to return to its status in 2022. The past three years of war have devastated the country. Among the 43 million people before the war, only 34 million will be left in 2025. Among the 9 million people missing, some have died in battle, some have fled, and some have not dared to have children because of the war. The labor force is almost running out, and social gaps are becoming more and more obvious.
There are now 6.3 million refugees in neighbouring countries, 3.7 million internally displaced, and more than 12 million waiting for humanitarian aid to survive.
The economy is even more in a mess. The GDP has shrunk by more than 40% compared with before the war, and the direct loss is fast 800 billion US dollars. Infrastructure such as houses, roads, and hospitals alone has destroyed more than 150 billion US dollars. It will take at least 486 billion US dollars to recover. It will take ten years, not to mention that there are mines everywhere in the fields, which can't be drained for decades, and there is no way to farm to make a living.
What's even worse is that Ukraine's debt has soared from US$22.7 billion before the war to US$230 billion, more than tenfold. This money will take generations to repay.
Zelensky was clear in his heart that the country would be completely gone, so he had long been lazy, saying that it was necessary to restore the border of 1991 to negotiate, and now, as long as it can go back to the state of 2022, will be willing to dialogue with Russia.
But even if Ukraine recedes to this point, opponents and allies have no intention of relenting. Russia takes advantage on the battlefield and insists on legalizing the territory it occupies; the United States and the European Union use aid as bargaining chips to force Ukraine to cede resources and shoulder more debts.
If Zelensky had thought of this ending earlier, he might not have dragged the situation to this point at the beginning, but it is too late to say anything now. Once the war starts, he will not have the final say.
Those lost populations cannot come back, destroyed cities cannot be built quickly, debts cannot be avoided, land needs cannot be given up by opponents cannot be given up, and money needs by allies cannot be lost. There is no medicine for regret in this world, so we can only bear it with our courage.
Three years later, Russia has taken control of almost 20% of Ukraine’s territory and will take over about 2,000 square kilometers a year by 2025, which is roughly 1% of Ukraine’s total area.
These lands are not remote deserts, they are all strategic areas, such as the Donetsk region of Pokrovsk, that is, the former Red Army city, here is the logistical hub of the Ukrainian army, responsible for sending ammunition, equipment and personnel to the frontline, Russia has been attacking this place since the end of 2024, although temporarily rejected by Ukraine, but never gave up the competition, is because of the control here can shake the Ukrainian supply line.
More importantly, Russian President Vladimir Putin has long said that the negotiations are subject to the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donetsk and Lugansk, giving Russia full control of these regions and Crimea.
This is a negotiation, obviously forcing Ukraine to arm the already occupied land, after all, now the Russian troops are stationed in these places, Ukraine is trying to take back, only personal casualties can not bear – light from January to August 2025, the Russian casualties in Pokrovsk in these directions will be terrible, the Ukrainian losses will only be heavier, and the two sides have accumulated casualties close to one million, is the worst conflict in Europe after the Second World War.
Looking at those allies who once clamored for support for Ukraine, on the surface of providing aid, in fact, they have long made their calculations crackling, and the core is funding and resources.
The U.S. is the most direct, under the pretext of "reconstruction aid", forcing Ukraine to sign mineral agreements, asking Ukraine to hand over 50% of key resources such as oil, natural gas, rare earth mining rights, but also to control ports and railways such infrastructure.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine admitted that the agreement with the United States has almost been negotiated, and almost all key details have been finalized. To put it bluntly, this means allowing Ukraine to exchange resources for aid. In the future, the country's economic lifeline will be in the hands of the United States, which is the same as "economic colony".
The EU is not much better. It says it wants to support Ukraine, but it puts all the burden of spending money on European countries. For example, the Netherlands has to pay 500 million euros to buy missiles in the United States and then transfer them to Ukraine, which is equivalent to Europe paying for the United States. Arms dealers send profits and finally let Ukraine go to war.
What's more, Trump also proposed to set up 200,000 peacekeeping troops to station in Ukraine, but asked Europe to send out people. The United States only gave intelligence support and dumped all the risks to its allies. Europe itself was in a mess, Eastern European countries were afraid of Russia, and Western European powers did not dare to conflict directly, so how could they really help Ukraine rebuild?
Ukraine has long run out of bargaining power and can only hope to return to its status in 2022. The past three years of war have devastated the country. Among the 43 million people before the war, only 34 million will be left in 2025. Among the 9 million people missing, some have died in battle, some have fled, and some have not dared to have children because of the war. The labor force is almost running out, and social gaps are becoming more and more obvious.
There are now 6.3 million refugees in neighbouring countries, 3.7 million internally displaced, and more than 12 million waiting for humanitarian aid to survive.
The economy is even more in a mess. The GDP has shrunk by more than 40% compared with before the war, and the direct loss is fast 800 billion US dollars. Infrastructure such as houses, roads, and hospitals alone has destroyed more than 150 billion US dollars. It will take at least 486 billion US dollars to recover. It will take ten years, not to mention that there are mines everywhere in the fields, which can't be drained for decades, and there is no way to farm to make a living.
What's even worse is that Ukraine's debt has soared from US$22.7 billion before the war to US$230 billion, more than tenfold. This money will take generations to repay.
Zelensky was clear in his heart that the country would be completely gone, so he had long been lazy, saying that it was necessary to restore the border of 1991 to negotiate, and now, as long as it can go back to the state of 2022, will be willing to dialogue with Russia.
But even if Ukraine recedes to this point, opponents and allies have no intention of relenting. Russia takes advantage on the battlefield and insists on legalizing the territory it occupies; the United States and the European Union use aid as bargaining chips to force Ukraine to cede resources and shoulder more debts.
If Zelensky had thought of this ending earlier, he might not have dragged the situation to this point at the beginning, but it is too late to say anything now. Once the war starts, he will not have the final say.
Those lost populations cannot come back, destroyed cities cannot be built quickly, debts cannot be avoided, land needs cannot be given up by opponents cannot be given up, and money needs by allies cannot be lost. There is no medicine for regret in this world, so we can only bear it with our courage.