It’s heartbreaking to think the war on Ukraine is still forging, but it’s a reality that we can’t shy away from.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. The official reason was stated by Putin that he wanted to “demilitarize” Ukraine, but the real reason is that Russia doesn’t want Ukraine to be a part of NATO. There are lots of questions and it’s important to keep an open eye. 

What’s changed? 

Approximately 8 million people have fled Ukraine for different spots in Europe as of January 2023. Around 10,000 people left in one day back in March. People have also returned but as it stands right now, the outpour is outbalancing the inpour.

Russia has been damaged as well. The war has tanked their economy, as well as the reputation of their military. They haven’t managed to take Kyiv, Ukraines capital, however they have come close but had to flee back up North. 

Gas prices have spiked worldwide since Russia produces 10% of oil. The sanctions on Russia raised gas prices in the U.S back in February and March. There were relief bills that helped alleviate that pressure, but those have since been overturned. Gas prices are tricky and the war isn’t completely to blame, but it’s one of many factors. 

The Russian soldiers killed and wounded count, as of 2023, is reaching 200,000. For Ukraine civilians the total for both wounded and killed is 21,ooo.

Have things improved? 

Yes and no, things have gone right and things have gone wrong for both sides. The 2023 outlook predicts a hard fight ahead of Ukraine. There are no signs that Putin will let up. He has no political opposition in Russia, so he can go thousands upon thousands of death before his approval ratings go down. There’s been rumors going around that Russia has something big planned for the one year anniversary, but until then we’ll have to wait and see.

We can already see the effects the war on Zelensky who has stayed with his country. Over the past year, President Zelensky was named person of the year by TIME magazine, and it is well deserved. 

There’s no telling what will happen this year, but it’s imperative to be alert and unbiased.