[81alum]

I don't think there is any reason at this point to set a timeline for negotiations. Why would Ukraine trust any negotiated settlement with Putin anyway?

It takes a long time to bleed a large country out of a war. US was involved in Vietnam for at least 8 years depending on when you start counting. Russia was in Afghanistan for 9 years.

We should expect this war to go on for many more years as well. Western ammunition manufacturing is thankfully scaling up with just that expectation in mind. Ukraine is a smaller country than Russia but its still the second largest military in Europe, and they are actually on the offensive. Russia is using their own strategic reserves to shore up defenses where Ukraine is attacking. But both countries are being expectedly cautious with their troops because they know this will be a long conflict.

Yes, Vietnam and Afghanistan indicate that a large democracy driven by public opinion can be defeated by a smaller dictatorship/religious cult when the war drags out.  Losses do more to undermine a democracy than an autocracy.

Ukraine lacks that advantage.  I would think that it needs to win, quickly.  Of course, it is fighting for its homeland when the Unites States was not.  Perhaps this is enough to make up the difference.  Whose national morale will crumble first?  That is what a war of attrition turns on.

[81alum]

I don't think there is any reason at this point to set a timeline for negotiations. Why would Ukraine trust any negotiated settlement with Putin anyway?

It takes a long time to bleed a large country out of a war. US was involved in Vietnam for at least 8 years depending on when you start counting. Russia was in Afghanistan for 9 years.

We should expect this war to go on for many more years as well. Western ammunition manufacturing is thankfully scaling up with just that expectation in mind. Ukraine is a smaller country than Russia but its still the second largest military in Europe, and they are actually on the offensive. Russia is using their own strategic reserves to shore up defenses where Ukraine is attacking. But both countries are being expectedly cautious with their troops because they know this will be a long conflict.

Yes, Vietnam and Afghanistan indicate that a large democracy driven by public opinion can be defeated by a smaller dictatorship/religious cult when the war drags out.  Losses do more to undermine a democracy than an autocracy.

Ukraine lacks that advantage.  I would think that it needs to win, quickly.  Of course, it is fighting for its homeland when the Unites States was not.  Perhaps this is enough to make up the difference.  Whose national morale will crumble first?  That is what a war of attrition turns on.