It's Time To Admit Ukraine's Plight Is A US Proxy War Too

Do you remember how quickly this whole thing was meant to be over and not in a good way for Ukraine.

- Andrew Buncombe

Back in February, as Russian troops massed on the border, there was an anticipation that if and when they launched an invasion, they could reach Kyiv in days.

This assessment was partly the result of Russia's own propaganda. Moscow believed it could swiftly seize the capital, oust the government, and establish its own regime. Russia's military was believed to be large and powerful; how could Ukraine hope to resist?

In the frantic days after the 24 February "special operation" that Vladimir Putin named his illegal invasion, it was about trying to keep Ukraine and its leader alive by rushing in military equipment, and helping tens of thousands escape. The timetable of operations was marked in days, and at best weeks. Everyone assumed it would only be a matter of time. At one point, EU leaders feared if they would ever see their Ukrainian counterpart again.

Ten months later, we know that was not the case. The West overestimated the abilities of Russia's armed forces, wrongly assumed Putin had a workable plan, and underestimated the capability and resolve of Ukraine's military.

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It had also failed to conceive how Volodymyr Zelensky, a former comedian known in Washington DC - if he was known at all for a cameo role in Donald Trump's first impeachment trial, would seize the moment and emerge as the defiant face of his united nation.

So much has changed since then. While Russian forces still occupy parts of Ukraine, Kyiv looks more solid than ever, with the West coming together to back its people.