The Kremlin’s war against Ukraine has sparked the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. It has touched off a process toward NATO expansion, and caused economic hardship far from the epicenter of fighting. It has also sparked a massive movement toward nationalist and populist parties in Russia. And it has unleashed an unsettling new era of Russian propaganda.

Nine months into Russia’s war against Ukraine, its outcome remains uncertain. But it seems clear that the Kremlin has a hard time taking Kyiv or occupying a large part of Ukraine, and that Ukrainian forces have enjoyed some success on the battlefield. And despite a campaign of missile strikes against power, heat, and water utilities, Ukrainians have resisted the Russian attempt to create a humanitarian catastrophe.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has triggered a geopolitical realignment, but it is not yet winning. The Kremlin’s strategy of armed aggression has been hampered by Western diplomatic and economic pressure. Economic sanctions have significantly reduced the risk of a full-scale invasion and forced Russia to take up the Minsk talks. The removal of these sanctions would be a grave mistake.

Amid these challenges, a brave band of Ukraine’s soldiers, police officers, and volunteers continue to stand firm against Russian aggression and to defend the country’s independence. They face terrifying ordeals and often repressive punishment for their courage. Millions of Ukrainians have rejected the anti-Ukrainian project of Russia’s leaders, including in Crimea and in parts of eastern Ukraine, where people voted to preserve their historic choice.