Five Ways the War in Ukraine Could End

1. Russia Eventually Overwhelms Ukraine

Putin has already shown he has no regard for civilian life with his heavy bombardments of Ukrainian cities. Eventually, he will bomb them into submission or starve them and install a puppet regime. However, winning the battle is not winning the war, and he can expect Afghanistan-like resistance for years to come along with the total collapse of the Russian economy, which is already in free fall. No one wins least of all the Ukrainian or Russian people.

2. China Step in to End the War

China, so far unwilling to condemn its’ communist partner, may see the massive economic costs to the West not to its best interests and add pressure to Putin to find a quick solution. The advantage here is for China to look like the good guy. However, the only real solution is for Putin to go home with nothing more than claiming the two breakaway republics he was controlling anyway, which is unlikely.

3. A Peace Is Negotiated

Putin has backed himself into a corner, and there seems little room for negotiation on either side. About the only concession, Ukraine can make without giving up large chunks of their country is to say they won’t join NATO. Which at this point, they might be far more eager to do than they ever were in the first place.