What ending will Ukraine choose?

A country cannot sustain itself for long on the heroism of its most conscious citizens. Already now, its annual budget barely covers military expenses. We receive funds for social expenditures from European countries, the U.S., Canada, Japan, and Australia. We also receive weapons from them.

There's an urgent need to mobilize young and strong men, as only remnants of 2022 volunteers and rural elderly remain in the trenches. Some are extremely physically exhausted, others are weak and frail. It's difficult to conduct active combat operations, let alone advance, with such an army. Especially when the army is led by people not rooted in this land and therefore with unclear intentions.

Judging by the population's negative reaction to attempts to expand mobilization and replenish the ranks of defenders, which have noticeably thinned during the war, society is in silent resistance to replenishing the Armed Forces. Young and healthy men buy exemptions for big money, hide in shelters, don't leave their apartments, flee to other cities, and strive at any cost to cross the border, where neighboring border guards and police humiliate them, calling them traitors and cowards.

Many of the genuinely Ukrainian people are ready to surrender, ready for humiliation, just to survive themselves and their children. Though the victor doesn't guarantee even physical survival, as shown by the sad experience of Ukrainian regions captured by orcs. But everyone will get a semi-slave status with deportation to Siberia to clear snow, of which there's plenty there, as we know.

However, the smartest will flee from their Russian "brother" and become Poles, Romanians, Hungarians, Turks. Do we really want this? Do we really want to be forever second or third-class? And for our children to remain so? Because no neighboring country that gladly accepts Ukrainians as a workforce will ever recognize them as equals. Do we want this?

"Has fear deprived us of reason and patience? Then the orcs can offer if not death, then submission and humiliation. To avoid this requires very little – stop being cowards."

And all this while Ukraine's situation is not hopeless. We've already defended our national sovereignty, we're already capable of resisting a power three times larger than us. We've found good friends who offered their shoulder in a tragic moment. And these friends are the most modern states in the world, and we share common values with them. They're ready to continue helping us now. This is if we ourselves strain and defend ourselves with all our might.

And what about Russia?

We know well that the Russian army now relies not so much on "greatness" as on money. On big money that Russian leaders don't spare, hoping to recoup it in Ukraine. But according to the American president, the Russian-Ukrainian war has brought Moscow about 2 million casualties in manpower over three and a half years (Ukrainian statistics give 1 million). Is this a lot or a little to stop? The horde doesn't stop itself; someone must stop it.

Independent Russian economists claim that just in the last six months, the Russian budget deficit amounts to $45 billion and should approach the astronomical figure of $110 billion by year's end. Is this a lot or a little? For any other country – it's very much. For Russia – it's apparently still tolerable. Though according to the same economists, Russia expects financial and economic collapse in a few months, which will trigger the empire's disintegration mechanism.

The question is: how much money and territory must be taken from Russians, how many of their soldiers destroyed, for the entire country to be convinced of the complete idiocy not only of their leaders who organized this war, but also of their men, brothers, fathers who, tempted by considerable financial rewards, took up arms and went to kill a neighbor they'd lived alongside for many years, with whom they once shared both joy and sorrow?

And what's most interesting and cruel for us: they're not afraid to go to war and kill.

A common answer to why a Russian soldier went to war: "Wanted to earn some money to buy an apartment for the children." Or something similar. That is, went to kill innocent people to buy an apartment for his children... The absurdity of these actions and motivations of Russians goes beyond not only morality but also strict pragmatism.

"After all, during this time, as calculated by the same Russian economists, Moscow spent so much on war that it would have been enough to give each Russian $1.2 million. That is, practically provide lifetime financial security. Including vodka."

But besides money, they're also itching for "greatness." Most regions lack roads, gas, basic sanitary conditions, but in everyone's head is the "greatness of Mother Russia." And this "greatness" is explained only by the size of seized lands. Such people cannot be defeated. They can only be eliminated so they don't come again and again to kill you and your descendants. And eliminate so many as to convince others not to do this. Is this too categorical and cruel?

There's a simpler and more humane path: take away the big oil barrel they once stole along with foreign territories and on which they now sit; and take away the hastily built gas shop from which oligarchs appointed by the Russian tsar draw huge incomes, and where miserable crumbs are distributed to the rest of the population, who are satisfied with the feeling of "greatness."

And force everyone to work, which would be the greatest punishment for Russia.

But unfortunately, all this is only in dreams. We cannot accomplish either the first or second independently. A country where a large part are cowards is not capable of historical achievements. At least, not fully. Therefore, we'll have to somehow stop. And since we're now retreating, negotiating from a position of strength won't work.

No matter how much our great president puffs his cheeks.

He did too little as a leader to prepare the country for possible trials. He was too self-confident and arrogant when advised from all sides to prepare for war. Too many people lost loved ones, relatives, families, homes, jobs, housing due to his shortsightedness and incompetence. Nearly half the country became migrants and displaced persons.

And if 58% of Ukrainians still say they trust President Zelensky, it's not entirely clear on what grounds?

"One thing is clear: with this government, we will not only not win, but we won't achieve an acceptable variant of even temporary peace. All hope is on friends."

Yes, the situation is not the worst for us now. Europe consistently and sincerely supports us. Both financially and with weapons it has. This is not much, but considering that the EU is now deploying its very high-quality defense-industrial complex, we can have serious support going forward.

Moods in the White House have also unexpectedly changed. President Trump, together with Congress, began a campaign to transfer weapons to Ukraine. And the announced scale of this process is quite significant.

One thing is unclear: why, having received serious support from our partners and having started our own production of main types of weapons now used on the battlefield, do we continue to retreat? Unfortunately, the answer is very sad: the organization of the country in wartime doesn't withstand any criticism. Just the fact that billions are stolen in military equipment and weapons purchases, and this process continues with no end in sight – all this shows that the country needs completely different people to organize resistance to the enemy.

But to hold elections and call new people to power requires at least a ceasefire, which is vital for us. Obviously, Ukraine will have to make significant concessions. If we ourselves couldn't win, though we had a chance in 2022, then our partners will help us defend our land to the maximum extent.

So, Ukrainian boys, come out of the shelters and crawl out from under your women's skirts, stop hiding from people and from yourselves, it's time to become men. The sky over Ukraine is brightening. Time to join the heroes. Isn't that right?

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About the author: Viktor Moroz, Ukrainian publicist, commentator.

The editorial board doesn't always share the opinions expressed by blog authors.