Seven experts predict possible scenarios as neither Moscow nor Kyiv appears ready to negotiate a peaceful end to the war. In a year, thousands of Ukrainian civilians and troops on both sides have been killed in Russia’s war, and tensions between Moscow and the West have risen to an all-time high.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin defended the invasion he ordered on February 24, 2022, as his United States counterpart Joe Biden was in Poland, rallying support for Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, bemoaned a Russian attack in Kherson, carried out as Putin made his fiery state of the nation speech.
At least six people were killed. One victim, a young woman with long dark brown hair, was seen in photos of the aftermath, her lifeless body strewn awkwardly across a pavement. Friday marks the first anniversary of the war the world had feared. Peace seems a distant prospect.
Which direction might the war take now?
We asked several experts to share their views:
‘Ukraine and Russia both don’t have enough arms’
“The basic scenario – neither Russia nor Ukraine can achieve their goals in this war. Russia will hardly be able to even occupy the entire [southeastern region of] Donbas, let alone destroy Ukraine as a nation.
“Ukraine won’t be able to get back to the borders of January 2014 [before the annexation of Crimea and Russia’s support to separatists in Donbas].
“The war may be over by late 2023 or in 2024 because both sides will have exhausted their resources. The main reasons are that Ukraine and Russia both don’t have enough arms, ammo, and servicemen to achieve what they aim for. Source: aljazeera.com
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
