Western countries must convince Russian dictator Volodymyr Putin that he is losing the war against Ukraine in order to end the fight on terms acceptable to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

 This is reported by CNN.

 On the eve of the anniversary of the Russian invasion, US and Western leaders are preparing for a show of unity and strength aimed at confirming once and for all that NATO is engaged in a long-term conflict to defeat Russia.

 "Russia lost - they lost strategically, operationally and tactically," said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley.

 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also warned that "Putin must realize that he cannot win" when he explained the reason for the rapid delivery of weapons and ammunition to Ukrainian forces.

 In addition, retired US general and former CIA chief David Petraeus said the conflict will end in a "negotiated solution" when Putin realizes that war is impossible on the battlefield and on the home front.

 A look at the war through Putin's eyes

 By most objective standards, Putin already seems to be losing the war. His military goals of destroying Ukrainian sovereignty, seizing Kyiv, overthrowing the elected government, proving Russia's power, and severing Ukraine's relations with the West were unsuccessful.

However, the Russian dictator has long looked at the world through a different strategic and historical prism. He shows no signs of being deterred by a year of defeats and the staggering influx of modern NATO weapons and ammunition into Ukraine. He sends Russian recruits to their deaths in futile World War I-style offensives.

 A frozen conflict, which could last for many years, could be a stable position for Putin. He has already shown that he does not care about human losses. And, judging by his rhetoric, he believes that he is involved in a titanic geopolitical struggle with NATO, vital for the prestige of the Russian Federation. The question is whether the West has the same appetite for the long term.

 The decisive stage of the war

 Russian troops are preparing for a spring offensive, and Ukraine is expecting the arrival of Western tanks, which it hopes will turn the tide.

 The US and its allies believe that Russia's upcoming offensive is unlikely to lead to major successes on the battlefield. "This is probably more desirable than realistic (for the Russian Federation - ed.)," said a high-ranking US military official.

 At the same time, doubts arise as to whether Ukrainian forces are capable of breaking the strong Russian defenses in the east and south in a way that could threaten Putin's land bridges to Crimea. At a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, Stoltenberg said the conflict was turning into a "brutal war of attrition" and called on allies to immediately deliver ammunition to Ukraine.

 At the same time, the NATO Secretary General stated that there is no chance that the situation will change in the near future.

 "President Putin shows no signs that he is preparing for peace. On the contrary, he is launching new offensives and targeting civilians, cities and critical infrastructure," he said.