Anne Applebaum

They're not speaking to Putin himself. Maybe this could change, you know, in the coming days and weeks. But right now, I haven't seen evidence that Putin has changed his goal. So Putin's goal is to destroy all of Ukraine, to put a pro-Russian government in Kiev and to remove Ukrainian sovereignty. That's why he's fighting the war. That is his goal.

They're not speaking to Putin himself. Maybe this could change, you know, in the coming days and weeks. But right now, I haven't seen evidence that Putin has changed his goal. So Putin's goal is to destroy all of Ukraine, to put a pro-Russian government in Kiev and to remove Ukrainian sovereignty. That's why he's fighting the war. That is his goal.

They're not speaking to Putin himself. Maybe this could change, you know, in the coming days and weeks. But right now, I haven't seen evidence that Putin has changed his goal. So Putin's goal is to destroy all of Ukraine, to put a pro-Russian government in Kiev and to remove Ukrainian sovereignty. That's why he's fighting the war. That is his goal.

He has not verbally or in any other way given up that goal. So the issue with creating a ceasefire is not persuading Ukraine to have a ceasefire. The Ukrainians would have a ceasefire and we could put pressure on them to have a ceasefire. But to have a ceasefire, you need two countries. Both sides have to stop fighting. And as of right this second, I don't see that Russia's ready to stop fighting.

He has not verbally or in any other way given up that goal. So the issue with creating a ceasefire is not persuading Ukraine to have a ceasefire. The Ukrainians would have a ceasefire and we could put pressure on them to have a ceasefire. But to have a ceasefire, you need two countries. Both sides have to stop fighting. And as of right this second, I don't see that Russia's ready to stop fighting.

He has not verbally or in any other way given up that goal. So the issue with creating a ceasefire is not persuading Ukraine to have a ceasefire. The Ukrainians would have a ceasefire and we could put pressure on them to have a ceasefire. But to have a ceasefire, you need two countries. Both sides have to stop fighting. And as of right this second, I don't see that Russia's ready to stop fighting.

So I am a little mystified by what everybody thinks is the plan, because right now there isn't one.

So I am a little mystified by what everybody thinks is the plan, because right now there isn't one.

So I am a little mystified by what everybody thinks is the plan, because right now there isn't one.

If we were to get to a ceasefire for whatever reason, Putin wants a break or something, then we are in another, wherever they draw the line, then we would be in another danger zone, which is that a ceasefire that did not emerge from Putin deciding that he couldn't win the war would be in danger of falling apart, you know, one month or two years down the line when Putin decides to renew the war.

If we were to get to a ceasefire for whatever reason, Putin wants a break or something, then we are in another, wherever they draw the line, then we would be in another danger zone, which is that a ceasefire that did not emerge from Putin deciding that he couldn't win the war would be in danger of falling apart, you know, one month or two years down the line when Putin decides to renew the war.

If we were to get to a ceasefire for whatever reason, Putin wants a break or something, then we are in another, wherever they draw the line, then we would be in another danger zone, which is that a ceasefire that did not emerge from Putin deciding that he couldn't win the war would be in danger of falling apart, you know, one month or two years down the line when Putin decides to renew the war.

So the war is really only over when the Russians acknowledge that Ukraine is an independent state and that it deserves its own sovereignty. And then we end the war. And then we can argue about where the border will be. Whatever happens over the next few months when you hear this discussed, just remember that the question is not where the line is drawn or, you know, how we do peacekeeping.

So the war is really only over when the Russians acknowledge that Ukraine is an independent state and that it deserves its own sovereignty. And then we end the war. And then we can argue about where the border will be. Whatever happens over the next few months when you hear this discussed, just remember that the question is not where the line is drawn or, you know, how we do peacekeeping.

So the war is really only over when the Russians acknowledge that Ukraine is an independent state and that it deserves its own sovereignty. And then we end the war. And then we can argue about where the border will be. Whatever happens over the next few months when you hear this discussed, just remember that the question is not where the line is drawn or, you know, how we do peacekeeping.

The question is, have the Russians given up on their most important goal. And so are they stopping because they need a pause? They're losing an extraordinary number of people right now. I mean, just thousands and thousands of people every month.

The question is, have the Russians given up on their most important goal. And so are they stopping because they need a pause? They're losing an extraordinary number of people right now. I mean, just thousands and thousands of people every month.

The question is, have the Russians given up on their most important goal. And so are they stopping because they need a pause? They're losing an extraordinary number of people right now. I mean, just thousands and thousands of people every month.

And it's something like I saw a statistic actually just today where the proportion of Russians dying to Ukrainians dying is either one to seven or one to 10, depending on whose numbers you're using. So they're throwing fantastic numbers of people and they're dying. And I've also seen recently the Ukrainians keep track of how many objects they hit. They have a video, you know, prove it.

And it's something like I saw a statistic actually just today where the proportion of Russians dying to Ukrainians dying is either one to seven or one to 10, depending on whose numbers you're using. So they're throwing fantastic numbers of people and they're dying. And I've also seen recently the Ukrainians keep track of how many objects they hit. They have a video, you know, prove it.