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• Accept a cease-fire based on the current lines of the conflict.

This option would likely offer the quickest route to ending the bloodshed, but it would effectively cede control over a significant portion of eastern and southern Ukraine. Although still a better outcome than many observers initially expected in February, this would represent a substantial loss for Ukraine and an apparent reward for Russia for Putin’s brutal campaign.

• Push to restore the status quo from before the invasion.

In this option, Ukraine would seek to regain control over all territory lost since February 2022 before accepting any end to hostilities. However, this would leave Russia in control of Crimea and likely result in the Kremlin continuing to exercise de facto control in the Donbas. Pursuing this option would entail continued fighting until Ukraine could either regain its lost territory or weaken Russia’s capacity to the point where it was willing to withdraw.

• Fight to restore Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders.

This would entail rolling back all Russian presence in Ukraine, including in Crimea and the Donbas. It would represent a significant victory for Ukraine and, indeed, for international norms surrounding sovereignty. However, since it would mean a significant defeat for Russia, achieving this option would require a prolonged military campaign during which civilian deaths would continue, outside support could wane, and Russia could regain the upper hand—or worse, resort to using weapons of mass destruction

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