So, what of the future? Russia will seek a peace deal in Ukraine that safeguards its own long-term security and will not retreat from the gains it has made in the conflict, except for some token gestures. As of 2024, Russia occupies Crimea (since 2014) and parts of Zaporizhzhia Oblast and Kherson Oblast (since 2022). On September 30, 2022, Russia announced that Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson are part of Russian territory. Ukraine’s peace proposal calls for Russia to leave all the territories it occupies. Russia says it will keep all the land it occupies and wants all the provinces it claims its own, but does not have full control. The EU holds the view that allowing Russia to keep the land it seized would reward the aggressor and punish the victim, which would encourage further Russian expansion. Russia has so far rejected Ukraine’s pronouncements that it will put forward a peace plan which will propose to halt missile and drone strikes, as well as suspension of military activity in the Black Sea. There is also little interest from Russia in the ceasefire proposal since it enjoys the upper hand in the air and sea, besides being the dominant protagonist on land. There will be no giveaway on the Ukrainian demand of joining NATO—and in any case Europe is divided on this issue. Initially, the US was not averse to Europeans providing guarantees by stationing troops on the ground, but this proposal has since been rejected by Russia.