There is no sign that the war in Ukraine will end soon. Instead, following significant losses on the battlefield, Russia is mobilising huge numbers of its citizens to fight in a conflict in which most do not wish to participate. In response, the west has made clear its military and other support in defence of Ukrainian sovereignty will increase.
To make matters worse, President Putin has threatened the use of nuclear weapons, leading the US to state that any such occurrence, even as a tactical demonstration, will be met decisively with what Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Adviser described as “catastrophic consequences for Russia.”
Alarmed, China, India, and others including Turkey and Saudi Arabia, have distanced themselves from Russia, recognising the threat to global economic recovery, but hoping that at the right moment they might be able to play a role in achieving a negotiated peace.