‘Despite the new U.S. aid package for Ukraine, peace or the end of the war is still far from being in sight,’ I said to Camp who was looking out at the lovely view from our pub on the harbour. ‘The US finally approved a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine. This means that Ukraine at least has another chance to defend itself against the overpowering opponent from the east.’  

‘It’s hopefully not too late. But there is no reason for euphoria. Russia’s economy seems to be resilient despite sanctions; thanks to Chinese and Indian electronics for their war machine and third-party importers for everything else, all paid for with oil shipped out with their dark and rusty ghost fleet. Then there are the casualties on both sides of the war. About 100,000 soldiers are said to have died so far, two-thirds of them on the Russian side. In addition, more than 10,000 civilians were also killed. Second, there are no signs at all that the war, which has been going on for two years now, will end in the foreseeable future.’