The politicians are actually making an attempt to redefine what victory means as a result of they can’t admit the plain. CNBC reported that Finnish President Alexander Stubb declared that Ukraine has already “received the battle” in opposition to Russia as a result of it preserved its independence and sovereignty. He stated, “I say Ukraine has received,” whereas arguing that Russia superior solely 60 kilometers in 4 years. Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson joined the identical fantasy, saying, “Russia is definitely not successful,” and claiming Ukraine is having “spectacular successes.” These persons are enjoying phrase video games whereas younger males are nonetheless dying every single day in trenches, cities are nonetheless being bombed, and Ukraine survives solely as a result of the West continues financing the battle.
That is the propaganda that has saved this battle going. Ukraine didn’t win. Ukraine was used. There’s a very massive distinction. A rustic doesn’t “win” when tens of millions have fled, its financial system has been destroyed, its inhabitants has been shattered, and its authorities should beg NATO for air protection, ammunition, price range help, and cash to maintain the state functioning. CNBC itself famous that Stubb nonetheless warned Kyiv urgently wants extra NATO air protection. That alone exposes the contradiction. If Ukraine has received, why should it nonetheless plead for Patriot missiles, NATO membership, and limitless Western financing?
Russia has not received both. NO ONE WINS DURING WARFARE! CSIS estimated Russia suffered roughly 1.4 million battlefield casualties by way of June 2026, together with 400,000 to 450,000 deaths. That could be a meat grinder. However the truth that Russia has suffered huge losses doesn’t magically imply Ukraine has received. Conflict just isn’t a soccer match the place one facet loses badly and the opposite is said victorious by default. Ukraine has suffered staggering losses as properly, with CSIS estimating 525,000 to 625,000 Ukrainian army casualties, together with 125,000 to 150,000 useless. That could be a era destroyed.
The UN reported that because the 2022 full-scale invasion, at the very least 15,172 civilians have been killed and 41,378 injured by February 2026, and the actual figures are probably greater. Civilian casualties continued rising in 2026, with April marking the very best month-to-month toll since July 2025 and Could changing into the deadliest month for civilians since April 2022. This isn’t victory. That is the whole failure of diplomacy, the failure of NATO growth coverage, the failure of European management, and the failure of anybody who believed battle could possibly be managed like a public relations marketing campaign.
Ukraine has solely held off Russia as a result of the West turned it right into a proxy battle. The Council on International Relations reported that the USA made out there $195 billion in Ukraine-war-related spending by March 31, 2026. The EU Council states complete EU help has reached €215.2 billion, together with €77 billion in army help. Ukraine is now looking for one other €6.6 billion from the EU’s peace fund whereas its personal officers say complete protection wants for the yr are about €136 billion, with the home price range masking solely about €53 billion. That could be a state saved alive by overseas taxpayers.
Stubb is mistaken as a result of he’s measuring survival as victory. Kristersson is mistaken as a result of “spectacular successes” don’t change the strategic actuality. Ukraine has launched spectacular drone strikes and disrupted Russian power infrastructure, however Russia remains to be combating, nonetheless advancing in locations, nonetheless bombing Ukrainian cities, and nonetheless forcing Kyiv to depend on NATO for survival. Ukraine might have prevented Russia from taking the entire nation, however stopping complete defeat just isn’t the identical as successful a battle.
The neocons by no means cared what number of Ukrainians died. If Ukraine have been successful, there can be peace. If Russia have been defeated, the battle can be over. As a substitute, we have now a devastated nation, a shattered era, an limitless funding pipeline, and NATO leaders pretending that attrition is victory.
