Here are the prospective outcomes for this war according to both sides (NB: This is not partisan ...)
(a) That the Ukraine is successful (backed by the West) to . expel all Russian forces from pre 2013 Ukrainian territory (Zelenskyy's objective)
(b) That Russia conquests the remainders of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaphorizhia, Kherson & retains the Crimea. (Russian Objective)
Of the 2, which do you think is more likely than not and if either (a) or (b) is achieved , how long will it take ?
IMO any negotiated settlement in the near future will mean that the Ukraine will likely be reduced to a rump state requiring ongoing economic aid from the West for decades to come.
Otherwise, its likely to be more of the same with incremental gains/losses by both sides
The ironic thing about this war so far is that it has confirmed both parties fears prior to 2013: -that Russia will attack the Ukraine (and it has) -that NATO advancement eastwards will threaten Russian national security (and it has by the Ukraine using NATO supplied weapons of war/NATO war technology to enable Ukraine to attack (counterattack) Russian mainland.)
