On February 24, 2022, the Armies of Russia unleashed a three-pronged invasion of the Eastern European country of Ukraine—from the northern border with Belarus, the eastern border with Russia, and the southern border with Crimea. Three years later, while Ukraine was successful in its defense and preservation of its nation and government, the strength and patriotism of this relatively small country can only get it so far.
As of April 2025, the war is at a bloody stalemate—with neither side making any major successful gains, and every day, hundreds (if not thousands) of Russians and Ukrainians are dying. What has changed since that fateful day in 2022? What can we expect from these two nations? Will the war finally come to an end?
Ukraine has been devastated by this war. Millions of civilians have been killed or injured, and many have fled the country entirely. A whopping 64% of Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure has been destroyed, leaving approximately ⅓ of Ukrainians without power. The other ⅔ of Ukrainians are primarily relying on old Soviet electrical infrastructure that they have kept from their years of Communist rule over three decades ago.
According to an estimate released by the White House, more than 400,000 Ukrainians have been killed or injured and more than 700,000 Russians have been killed or injured. While Ukraine has given Russia a run for its money, Russia has the manpower that Ukraine lacks—guaranteeing that Ukraine does not have many avenues for total reconquest remaining.
When people say this war is not only ferociously deadly but a stalemate, many do not fully realize the scope of how little progress is even happening in the war. The Battle of Bakhmut, the largest and deadliest battle of the war so far, started on August 1, 2022, and ended on May 20, 2023. This battle lasted a grueling 10 months and cost hundreds of thousands of lives. The intense urban fighting that took place throughout the autumn and winter of 2022 made it the deadliest battle of the war. While the Russians were victorious in capturing the city, it was a Pyrrhic victory, as the Russians lost around 100,000 soldiers in this battle/campaign alone. This victory was also of little strategic value, it was far more symbolic of a victory.
Following the battle of Bakhmut, there was a brief Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Summer of 2023 into the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions. Heavy fighting took place over the villages of Robotyne and Verbove in Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine was successful in taking Robotyne in July-August 2023, but since then, Ukrainian victories have slowed down exponentially.
The last major thing that happened in the war was the Russian campaign of Avdiivka. On October 10, 2023, Russia launched another offensive campaign into the Avdiivka sector of Donetsk. The battle lasted throughout the winter into February of 2024, when the Ukrainians suffered heavy losses of both men and equipment. Among fears of being encircled by the encroaching Russians, the Ukrainians retreated, giving Russia the last major victory and event of the entire war.
Since then, no major offenses, battles, or events of remarkable interest have occurred. This war truly has been slow, bloody, and destructive. Although we live in an age of unprecedented prosperity and technological advancement, this war is akin to that of World War I, as soldiers fight one another relentlessly from trenches merely to gain a few miles of land. The war has also heavily relied on drone and missile technology, as both belligerents have launched drone and missile strikes into one another’s territories. As of April 2025, Russia has the upper hand in the war; however, Russia by no means is seeing incredible success, as the fighting is ferocious and slow.
With that said, the new Trump Administration has expressed key interest in ending this brutal and bloody stalemate of war and campaigned on the idea during the 2024 Presidential Election season. Within the first few weeks of his presidency, Trump has had meetings, phone calls, and discussions with both Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin.
In Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance in the Oval Office on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, the atmosphere was very tense and aggressive. While Trump and Vance wish to see a ceasefire achieved as soon as possible, Zelenskyy feels very devastated to see his nation be destroyed and beaten in such a manner. He has fought this war for a large portion of his presidency, and it is understandable to see why Zelenskyy pushed back on the idea of a ceasefire. However, why should we waste more lives? That is the question of Trump and Vance, and after reflecting on the argument in the Oval Office, Zelenskyy apologized and has agreed to meet with the Russians and Americans in Saudi Arabia for peace negotiations.
The task of resolving the war between Russia and Ukraine has proved to be an incredibly tedious and complicated one. Where it used to seem like the U.S. and Russia were getting along and it was Ukraine that was being stubborn in negotiations, now the tables have turned as relations between Russia and the U.S. have soured a little, leading to bitter talks between the White House and Kremlin, all while Zelenskyy and the Trump Administration butt heads at times. This complicated situation is only exacerbated now that members of the European Union, such as France, are beginning to take more lead roles in the war’s negotiations and defense of Ukraine.
In conclusion, we can only pray and hope for a quick end to this unnecessary war. As the United States continues to mediate this conflict, we will hopefully witness the end of this war in due time.
