Daniel Davis Deep Dive Merch: Etsy store https://www.etsy.com/shop/DanielDavisDeepDive?ref=seller-platform-mcnav The Atlantic Council article: Dispatch from Ukraine: The path to a durable peace is emerging https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/inflection-points/dispatch-from-ukraine-the-path-to-a-durable-peace-is-emerging/ Danny argues that Western narratives about the Russia–Ukraine war are delusional and one-sided. They claim the war is not “stalemated” but clearly shifting in Russia’s favor, as Ukraine’s manpower is collapsing due to massive casualties and desertions. According to this view, Ukraine’s losses are unsustainable, and Russia’s larger population, military, and industrial base ensure eventual victory. The speaker dismisses as fantasy the idea that Ukraine could regain lost territory, force Russia to pay reparations, or see Putin prosecuted. They note Western hypocrisy in accusing Russia of wanting to install puppet governments when the West itself removed Ukraine’s pro-Russian leadership in 2014. The “three scenarios” presented for Ukraine’s future are described as unrealistic: War of attrition – Admittedly favors Russia due to its greater capacity. Fake peace – A temporary halt with no guarantees, seen as implausible. “Fair and durable peace” – Would involve Ukraine losing some territory but gaining EU entry, NATO-like security guarantees, and Western troops on the ground—conditions the speaker says Russia would never accept. They argue no durable peace is possible without including Russia’s interests. Western ideas like “European boots on the ground,” an “American security backstop,” or “accelerated EU membership” are called fantasies. Finally, the claim that Trump and European allies would create a $90 billion Ukraine loan fund (with $300 billion from seized Russian assets) is labeled unrealistic and illegal—since seizing assets of a country not formally at war would undermine Western credibility and deter foreign investment. Bottom line: the analysis portrays Western and Ukrainian expectations as detached from reality and insists that Russia holds the long-term military and economic advantage, making any Western-defined “victory” or “durable peace” impossible.