After six months of war, Ukraine is still free – the West must hold its nerve

Editorial: Ukrainian bravery and Russian incompetence remain the given factors in this conflict. Where the war will be won or lost is in the cabinet rooms and conference chambers of the West

The people of Ukraine are suffering privations and the loss of loved ones far in excess of any hardships felt in, say, Poland, Britain or France (Reuters)

Six months on from Vladimir Putin’s invasion and Ukraine remains free, independent and defiant – if not yet reunited and free of its unwelcome guests.

Had things gone to the Kremlin’s plan, Ukraine would by now be occupied, pacified and going through a process of Russification and Russianisation, erasing all trace of Ukraine’s distinctive culture and identity. Parts of the country would be ceded to Russia and the rest placed under the care of a compliant regime, similar to Alexander Lukashenko’s in Belarus, steadily steering Ukraine’s economy and foreign policy in the interests of Russia.

President Zelensky was supposed to have fled to the West, and his army to have deserted in the face of overwhelming Russian force. President Putin would, so he dreamed, be welcomed as a liberator by teeming crowds of joyful Ukrainians in Maidan Square.