Opinion

A two-point plan for peace in Ukraine – while Kyiv still holds some leverage

Ukraine has sustained massive losses of life, territory and infrastructure in the war, and may be disappointed if it expects Western countries to foot the reconstruction bill

A realistic settlement would involve Ukraine declaring itself a neutral state and Russia agreeing to fund reconstruction with assets frozen by Western countries

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Ukrainian soldiers fire a self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region on March 5. Photo: AP

Daniel Covany joined the US military in 2004, and then worked privately teaching fighting tactics until the end of 2016 when he worked as an American instructor for the Turkish military academy, teaching military strategy and hand-to-hand combat.

Published: 1:00am, 8 Apr 2023Updated: 2:38am, 8 Apr 2023

As fighting rages on in Ukraine, a realistic settlement to the conflict is ripe for the plucking. The Ukrainians have proven to the world that with Western backing they are a fearsome opponent, driven by the hope of victory. But in military matters, as the saying goes, hope is not a method.

The Ukrainians are running out of ammunition, and Western countries’ manufacturing capabilities are struggling to keep up. Yes, they can continue to send what they do produce, but Russia has a head start as it began scaling up its military industrial manufacturing much earlier.

In the early days of the war, Ukraine backed away from a peace deal because, together with its Western backers, it hoped for better, without understanding the realities of war.