1,000 days in, Ukraine conflict may be at beginning of end

THIS week marks the grim milestone of 1,000 days of war since Russia’s invasion. However, the date is more than a calendar milestone, and now is the time not just for Ukraine, but also Europe, to urgently prepare for a potentially decisive 2025 ahead.

For while the conflict sometimes seems never-ending, the ground now appears to be shifting towards the beginnings of a potentially difficult, protracted negotiated settlement. To paraphrase legendary UK prime minister Winston Churchill, the latest developments may not only mark the end of the beginning of the war. They may also hasten the beginning of the end of the conflict, even if any negotiations take beyond 2025.

The big shift, in recent weeks, has not come on the battlefield in Ukraine per se. Instead, it has arrived with the election of Donald Trump on Nov 5 for a second presidential term.