All the king’s men and all the king’s horses could not put a broken Ukraine together again. The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been a dark cloud looming over Eastern Europe for far too long. On Monday morning, an earth-shattering blast targeted the largest children’s hospital in Kyiv, intensifying the anger and desperation felt by the masses. Their broken homes and a desperate economy carry the earmarks of a long, arduous journey they would have to cover to enjoy peace. As the violence escalates, it raises the question: is there truly no hope for an end other than a perpetual stalemate? As the death toll rises and families are torn apart, it becomes increasingly clear that the perilous situation in Ukraine is entrenching itself in a tragic cycle of violence. In stark contrast to what the US Presidential candidate Donald Trump may have his voters believe, the conflict cannot end in a single day. Had that been the case, the Western leadership would have tried its best to bring an end to the senseless brutality that has come to define this war. For, it may be one thing for Washington DC to close its eyes and look the other way when their precious through-thick-and-thin ally Israel is carrying out one of the largest genocides in history in Gaza but to sit back and offer generic arguments to those who fit into the caucasian model and speak the same language suggest that the situation is only getting worse. The international community has struggled to find a way out of the abyss, with many countries condemning the violence but failing to take decisive measures. In the end, there will be no real winner. No doubt about that. Russian President Vladimir Putin, given the political nature of his military offensive, would have no choice but to continue the war until whatever the said mission is gets accomplished. The last two years have taught Ukraine the gaping gap between the chatter and reality of the support from its “friends” in the West. It is clear that people walking on eggshells, worried about flying glass shards flying or collapsed roofs or brigades of missiles cannot wait any longer for a resolution to this crisis. Any such effort would require fewer words and more translation into concrete and sufficient action. *