The war in Ukraine is entering a new phase as Russian troops mass in the south in preparation for a Ukrainian counter-offensive, western analysts believe.
The conventional wisdom is that Vladimir Putin has no choice but to continue his war in Ukraine because any other policy would signal a failure not only of that policy but of his regime. But there is another way to look at the situation: Putin could declare victory in some sense, reverse course, and as a result become even more popular and thus stronger at home while opening the way for improved relations with other countries
Evacuate now or face the misery of a Russian onslaught as winter approaches: That’s the blunt warning Ukraine delivered to the hundreds of thousands of civilians still left in Donetsk