It is difficult to gauge whether either side fighting in Ukraine is winning—at least, not winning in the ways they thought they would be.
The Russians are scrambling. They are trafficking Cuban fighters behind the Cuban government’s back, with Havana recently making 17 arrests on these charges. The Kremlin has asked North Korea to reverse old weapon sales, and return outdated weapons, a sign of depleted inventories.
Maybe worst of all is the hit on Russian pride by the Wagner rebellion earlier in the summer. The Wagner Group, known for its brutality and willingness to sow violence throughout the Middle East and Africa, had been the fist of Russian aggression. The Wagner Group is now reeling as its top leadership was killed in a suspicious plane crash, and western nations are designating the group a terrorist organization.
The war is not looking considerably better from the Ukrainian perspective. Despite offensive gains over the last three months through numerous counteroffensive maneuvers, the Ukrainian army has not been able to end this war. Russia continues deadly attacks on Ukrainian citizens, with 16 dead from a recent missile strike in Kostiantynivka, a city in Eastern Ukraine, even under the heightened security of an American diplomatic visit by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. The US-Ukrainian relationship remains strong, as signified by Blinken’s visit. Ukrainian President Zelensky visited the congress on Sept. 21 to ask for more money for the war effort, a contentious request because of the upcoming economic shutdown.
There is no clear path to ending the war. As Paideia student Conner Crowley ’27 says, “The only way I could see this war ending is Putin realizing that the only thing he is accomplishing is the killing of innocent civilians.”
