Comment: The latest attempt to seek US support leaves Ukraine with few options

The momentum on the battlefield remains with Russia, albeit slowly. Mr Zelensky’s risky gamble to invade Russia’s Kursk region in early August hasn’t really paid off. Ukrainian units that would otherwise be available to hold the line against Russian advances in Donbass are tied down in Kursk, still holding most of the ground captured in August, but under heavy pressure from Russian counterattacks.

Ukraine continues to face a shortage of materials and manpower, while Russia continues to be well supplied from Iran and North Korea and has just announced a further increase in its armed forces by 180,000 combat troops.

Furthermore, Russia’s relentless attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid in recent months have caused significant damage that the country will have difficulty repairing. Given the lack of adequate air defense capabilities, this is unlikely to improve any time soon, and this does not bode well for the morale of Ukrainian civilians in the coming winter months.

This is also likely to have an impact on the front-line troops, who are already suffering from poor morale after more than two and a half years of grueling war.

The best that can be hoped for now is that Kiev and Washington, as well as the broader network of Western supporters, recognize that the hopes of defeating Russian aggression and the reality that this is possible based on current strategies are dangerously far are distant from each other. It is not too late to change course toward an otherwise almost inevitable catastrophe, but time to do so is quickly running out.

Stefan Wolff is Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham and Head of the Department of Political Science and International Studies.