As of now, it is being reported that 3,818 people have been so far killed, with more than 4,000 wounded, while as of March-end, Russia’s Ministry of Defence confirmed that 1,351 Russian soldiers died so far in the combat, 3,825 injured, while claiming 14,000 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 16,000 wounded. While these figures are subject to verification of their exactness, they, at the same time, paint a grim picture of the war and its gravity. However, it all trickles down to the point where both sides will have to come to a table and talk about the issues and try to see a way out of a quagmire that does not seem to be ending anytime soon if allowed to rest on its own. As of now, Russia has not been able to cow down the people of Ukraine, even though Ukraine has insisted on the start of a dialogue, but so far, that does not seem to make any impact or fare out successful.
For Russia, as it seems, it is all about stopping NATO as it feels that NATO is aiming at more expansion and with that, Russia feels insecure. It has clearly demanded that Ukraine should not be allowed to become a member of NATO, which even the Ukraine has stated that it does want to, however, despite that, the matters are not inching further. There is a need for trying to figure out a deal with Russia, beginning with minimizing the presence of NATO troops on its eastern flank and ensuring the return of allied forces to where they were stationed in 1997, before an eastward expansion. The deal has to start from somewhere and let it be the point of beginning, but at the end of the day, deals mean getting better for oneself—for which both the West and Russia can strive to end the bloody war.
