Commentary: No end in sight to Russia’s war in Ukraine on its fourth anniversary

The full conquest of the Donbas remains the minimum President Vladimir Putin needs to spin a narrative of victory, but even that is eluding him, says former ceasefire observer Samir Puri.

23 Feb, 17:52 — 24 Feb, 01:25

Moderate (46/100)

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Why this matters

The fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine marks a grim milestone in a conflict that has profoundly reshaped global geopolitics, caused immense human suffering, and triggered widespread economic and humanitarian crises. It underscores the ongoing challenges to international law and stability, with no clear resolution in sight.

Perspective Analysis

AI-generated comparison of how 3 sources cover this story

All outlets mark the fourth anniversary of Russia's war in Ukraine, universally acknowledging its ongoing nature and severe impact. While Channel News Asia offers a strategic commentary on Russia's unachieved objectives, CBC focuses on the human cost and scale of the conflict, and Reuters emphasizes the visual devastation.

Political spectrum

LeftCenterRight

cbc

channel-news-asia

reuters

Outlet rating This story

SourceOutletiGeneral editorial lean of the outletStoryiHow they covered this specific storyTone

cbccenter-leftcenter-lefturgentfocuses on human suffering and historical scale

channel-news-asiacentercenteranalyticalprovides analytical commentary on strategic objectives

Reuterscentercenterurgentdocuments devastation without explicit political commentary

Coverage leans: balanced

The coverage presents a balanced view, with outlets focusing on different aspects of the war's impact and strategic implications without overt political partisanship.

What sources agree on

The war in Ukraine has reached its fourth anniversary.
The conflict is a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The war has caused immense suffering and devastation.
There is no end in sight to the conflict.

Where they diverge

The primary focus and framing of the war's fourth anniversary

channel-news-asia

Focuses on the strategic analysis of President Putin's unachieved objectives and the indefinite nature of the conflict.

cbc

Highlights the human cost, the scale of the conflict as Europe's largest since WWII, and its impact on civilians and soldiers.

Reuters

Emphasizes the visual documentation of four years of devastation through photos.

Key claims2 agreed · 2 unverified

✓

No end in sight to Russia’s war in Ukraine on its fourth anniversary.

agreed·channel-news-asiacbcReuters

The full conquest of the Donbas remains the minimum President Vladimir Putin needs to spin a narrative of victory.

unverified·channel-news-asia

Coverage gaps

Discussion of President Putin's specific minimum objectives for a narrative of victory, such as the full conquest of Donbas.

Reportedchannel-news-asia

MissingcbcReuters

Characterization of the conflict as Europe's biggest since the Second World War and an implied 'by the numbers' approach.

Reportedcbc

Missingchannel-news-asiaReuters

Explicit focus on capturing the devastation in photos.

ReportedReuters

Missingchannel-news-asiacbc

Perspective Analysis

Comparing sources…

How outlets covered this

Left-leaning

No articles

Center

channel-news-asia