Three years have passed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — and Ukraine is still standing, still fighting, and still insisting on its right to sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The front line has remained broadly stable for the past 18 months, following Russia's failure to make significant advances in 2024. Neither side has the capability for a decisive military breakthrough in the near term.
The World Bank estimates Ukraine will require $486 billion for reconstruction over the next decade — among the largest post-war reconstruction efforts in history. The question of Russian asset seizure to fund reconstruction remains legally and politically fraught.
Ukraine will be rebuilt. The question is when and with whose money. Every month of delay is a month of further degradation of the country's capacity to function.
The question of Ukraine's NATO membership has divided the alliance. Eastern European members argue strongly that membership is the only credible security guarantee. Western members and the United States have been more cautious about the escalation risks of admitting an active war zone to a mutual defence pact.