The war Russia Vs Ukraine has entered its second year. Despite battlefield setbacks, President Putin remains determined to keep fighting. Against this backdrop, Ukraine’s military needs the help of its Western allies. Nato countries have already sent superior US Himars missiles and German Leopard 2 tanks, even if their fighter jets are not yet there.

Ukraine’s main goal is to sever the Russian land bridge from Russia through the occupied part of the country to Crimea. Its strategy is backed by two UN resolutions that condemn Moscow’s invasion.

However, the Kremlin is still deploying a broad array of weapons and tactics to undermine Ukraine’s resolve and derail any talks on a political settlement. These include economic and energy pressure, propaganda based on lies and distortions, a blockade of Ukrainian ports, and a denial of the very fact of an invasion despite large scope of irrefutable evidence.

A remarkable tenacity on the part of Ukrainian soldiers and citizens is helping to deprive Russia of the territorial gains it expected in the early days of its invasion. Courageous Ukrainians have made it possible to stop Russia’s annexation of Crimea, rebuff the invasion of the north and east, and deal serious blows in the south. A campaign of Russian missile strikes against power, water and heat utilities has threatened to create a humanitarian crisis, but Ukrainians are demonstrating their resilience as the winter approaches. As the conflict rages on, the Ukrainian people are showing that they will fight for the path they chose in the Maidan: to a free and open society with respect for human rights and the rule of law, fully integrated into Europe, and led by their own politicians instead of the interests of vested interests and elites.