Is Putin winning the war in Ukraine?

‘The Ukraine Affair’ involving Donald Trump was front-page news across the world this month – but not in Ukraine itself. There were flutterings of embarrassment and face-palms on social media as the transcript of the Zelensky-Trump call emerged, but they very soon petered out. Believe it or not, on 1 October it was eclipsed by a far bigger story for Ukrainians: Putin is winning Europe’s only war.

‘Listen to the Nation! No to Capitulation!’ shouted an angry crowd outside Mr Zelensky’s presidential office this weekend. Protests have broken out across the country in response to the president’s announcement that Ukraine has agreed to the ‘Steinmeier Formula’ – a simplified peace process for the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine – which was first suggested in 2016 by the then foreign minister (current President) of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The steps of this formula are: all foreign militias, volunteers and covert forces will first leave Eastern Ukraine so ‘free’ elections (monitored by international observers) can be held in the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics in accordance with Ukrainian law.