In the continued war in Ukraine, frontline initiatives on both sides have made news this week as Ukrainians and Russians continue to fight moving battles over lost land. By the end of spring 2023, Ukraine had reclaimed roughly 50,000 square kilometers that Russia had occupied. This incredible accomplishment is a testament to the country’s solidarity, defiance and grit during tough times. Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn’t stopped pushing his territorial demands on Luhansk and Donetsk. In fact, he used them to announce their independence from Ukraine during a televised speech to the nation on February 21, 2022. Ukraine has lost nearly 88 percent of the Donbas region to Russian control. This now comprises all of Luhansk and 75 percent of Donetsk, making the stakes higher for both countries.
Despite historic precedent for this, Putin has indicated that he has no desire to return gained territory. The 37-minute polemic served as his formal declaration of propaganda war, as he formally annexed four Ukrainian provinces. In his speech, he announced that the residents of these regions would be Russian citizens “forever.” International leaders, including those from the United States, United Kingdom and European Union, reacted with equal fury over this announcement. They described it as a “flagrant violation of international law.” As tensions escalate, public sentiment within Ukraine remains resolute, with a recent poll indicating that around 78 percent of Ukrainians oppose ceding any territory to Russia.
The Current State of Conflict
As it currently stands, Russia has seized or controls roughly 20 percent of eastern Ukraine. Despite this, Ukrainian forces have been developing a “fortress belt” in Donetsk since the onset of the conflict in 2014. This heavily defended connector runs about 50 kilometers through a chain of cities that are key to Ukraine’s battle defense plan. Donetsk prior to the conflict was a booming metropolis, accounting for 4.43 million residents before the war broke out. Today, the city is experiencing unprecedented destruction and suffering as the landscape of war continues to shift.
According to Professor Matthew Sussex, Russia has made a new, enormous effort to claim additional land. This latest decision only injects further uncertainty into an already overheated environment. While acknowledging intense combat now being experienced all across the front line, he underscored that it’s been a very slow progress for Russian forces.
“But the slow progress of his military means that he can’t occupy, or doesn’t occupy, those territories,” – Matthew Sussex
The deadlock on the lines of front indicates that neither side is able to claim final victory. The stalemate of the current conflict has made it today’s most complex battlefield on which the two forces took a very different approach to surviving in their trenches.
International Reactions and Implications
The international community has rallied with overwhelming condemnation of Russia’s actions. As French President Emmanuel Macron said on the situation. He repeated his belief that Putin wants to take over as much of Ukraine as possible to destroy the country in the process. This narrow view on the humanitarian front further erases the geopolitical implications of this conflict. That’s not just a problem for Ukraine, it poses a danger to regional stability.
Second, Macron made clear his doubts about Putin’s commitment to peaceful resolution, suggesting negotiations are unlikely.
“I am not convinced that President Putin also wants peace,” – French President Emmanuel Macron
In the face of these problems, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been a tireless proponent for defending territorial integrity. He cautioned against conceding any land to Russia, highlighting the strategic importance of Donbas as a potential launchpad for further military offensives.
“We cannot do this. Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a new future offensive,” – paraphrased from President Zelenskyy.
The Human Impact and Future Prospects
The human toll of this drawn-out overseas engagement only grows. The war has further displaced millions and completely devastated communities from Kharkiv to Lysychansk, Severodonetsk, and Siversk. As neither side seems willing to compromise anytime soon, innocent civilians continue to suffer greatly from this violent stalemate.
With Russian ambitions showing no signs of abating, the possibility for a peaceful end to conflict seems increasingly distant. Others have proposed setting a determined forward line of troops for control over all of the Donbas and Crimea. This notion remains very much up for debate. Such an agreement would take major concessions from each side.
Ukrainian forces are putting up an incredible defense. They resolve to retake what they lost, which will largely define how the rest of this war goes.
