The fourth anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine was marked on Tuesday with defiant rhetoric by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who said “we have preserved Ukraine.” Russia’s ‘special military operation’ had not achieved its original goals or “broken the Ukrainian people,” asserted Zelenskiy, who played host to a group of European leaders on Tuesday in Kyiv.

Russia’s unrelenting attacks, which have not bean restricted to eastern Ukraine where the so-called frontline is, have also targeted civilians and the country’s infrastructure. Thousands of civilians have been killed by aerial attacks on residential areas while much of the country has been left without power and running water – 50 per cent of Ukraine’s electricity-generating capacity has been destroyed – one of the Russia’ objectives being to maximise the hardship suffered by people away from the front.

According to a report by AP, the number of soldiers killed, injured or missing on both sides could reach two million by spring, with Russia estimated to have lost some 1.2 million men. A report last month by the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that Russia sustained “the largest number of troop deaths for any major power in any conflict since World War,” said AP.

Of course, there has been no reaction or protests in Russia about this loss of life, because questioning Putin’s war, which French President Emmanuel Macron aptly described as “imperialism from another age,” is a criminal offence. Most of Europe continues to offer support to Ukraine, even though the United States has cut its support and President Donald Trump has often pandered to Putin, while criticising Zelenskiy’s negotiating positions.

Trump had boasted that he could end the war in a day, presumably by drafting a peace agreement that satisfied all Putin’s maximalist demands, but although there have been US-sponsored negotiations between the two sides, they have not come anywhere near an agreement.

Ukraine refuses to hand over the part of Donbas that Russia failed to capture but has been demanding at the negotiating table and is also holding out for post-war security arrangements to prevent a future Russian invasion. Apart from demanding more territory, Russia also insists Ukraine renounces its bid to join Nato and drastically cut the size of its army!

More talks are expected to take place in 10 days, but it is difficult to hold out any hope of a deal. The reality is that the only deal Russia would sign would envisage the complete capitulation of Ukraine. Moscow made this clear from the start and the only reason it has been attending the talks is to not to alienate Trump, who has shown inexplicable understanding to Putin, whose war has enjoyed the support of the world’s leading totalitarian regimes.

Trump is right in calling for an end to the war. But this will not happen if he does not apply pressure on Putin, something he has not been prepared to do so far, despite knowing that time, eventually, will favour the bigger army. Europe’s continuing support for Ukraine is of vital importance under the circumstances.