State of the World from NPR After four years of war in Ukraine, how does each side see the conflict?
Feb 24, 2026
Joanna Kakissis, NPR Kyiv correspondent covering battlefield realities and civilian life. Charles Maines, NPR Moscow correspondent tracking Kremlin messaging and public mood. They compare battlefield shifts, how each side frames the conflict, human costs and displacement, stalled peace talks and political pressure, and daily life under war and propaganda.
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War Turned Into Attrition With Limited Gains
- The war has become a grinding conflict of attrition rather than rapid territorial shifts.
- Joanna Kakissis notes Russia controls about 19% of Ukraine, with only ~1.5% gained since 2023, and towns being razed as Russia advances.
Moscow Blames the West Not Just Ukrainian Forces
- The Kremlin frames setbacks by recasting the real opponent as the U.S., NATO, and their allies rather than Ukraine's army.
- Charles Maines cites Viktor Litovkin at TASS portraying Russia as bullied by a broad Western coalition.
Opaque Losses Mask Massive Human Cost
- True casualty numbers are opaque but the human toll is massive and multidimensional.
- Joanna Kakissis cites CSIS estimates of 1.2M Russian and 600k Ukrainian killed/wounded/missing plus at least 15,000 civilian deaths and millions displaced.