by Sonja van den Ende, Strategic Culture:

The EU’s obstinacy regarding the Ukraine issue is striking and demonstrates a profound disconnect from reality. The war is lost, yet Europe appears oblivious to this fact. Instead of acknowledging defeat, EU politicians, in their deluded state, seem to be plotting a second phase of the conflict. They claim they can win this war without U.S. support, but what if they fail? Will they then beg for a ceasefire?
Let us revisit history. The Minsk 1 and 2 agreements, signed between Germany, France, Ukraine, and Russia (2014-2015), were meant to halt the fighting and grant the Donbass region some form of autonomy within Ukraine. However, Zelensky, despite his election promises of rapprochement with Russia, had other plans. He aimed to reclaim Crimea and bring the Donbass under his control, escalating the bombing campaigns. By January 2022, the bombardment of Donbass intensified, resulting in numerous civilian casualties, particularly in Donetsk.