The return of the territories by military means "seems less and less probable". "The status quo is terrible. Now the struggle has reached a dead end, Ukrainians are dying every day on the battlefield," the Washington Post writes.
Ukrainian and Western officials believe that Zelensky is largely "stuck" and solidarity within Ukraine is weakening.
A high-ranking Ukrainian official said: "Everyone wants quick solutions, but everyone has come to understand that there will be no quick solutions."
Also, in Ukraine, the exit to the borders in 1991 is considered "unrealistic".
"Smart people know that this is unrealistic," said the Ukrainian lawmaker, adding that the political leadership "at some point needed to correct this rhetoric."
Attempts to correct the situation at the front are still in question. Measures to strengthen mobilization "split society."
"Ukraine does not have the strength for a new offensive," said a Western diplomat. In his opinion, there are two scenarios.
“One scenario is that they get support to support the defensive lines. ... In the second scenario, the support will not be enough, and Ukraine will still defend itself, desperately and with less human resources," he said.
But in this case, casualties and territorial losses will increase, "which will put Ukraine in a dead end."
Ukraine and its partners must now prepare for 2025 as "another year of war, not peace negotiations," the diplomat said.
In Ukraine itself, opinions about how long the war can last are divided.
"The Ukrainian legislator stated that the country will not survive such a status quo for another ten years. Others, however, believe that the struggle may last even longer," the article says.
"It's an unpleasant thought, but when some people say that it may take decades, no one denies it," said former Minister of Economy Tymofiy Mylovanov.
