Ukraine

Gorilla pain, gorilla bleed, but big gorilla strong, big gorilla stronger than wrong gorilla, big gorilla kill wrong gorilla if big gorilla strong.

Trump combined with people who made him president doesn't have the weaknesses Trump taken alone has, that includes his narcissism.

Zelensky had a dubious, but real chance to have a better deal to (maybe temporarily, but time works in favor of the countries having access to Western weaponry, not their enemies) end the war. That was like a year+ ago. Also at that point Ukraine's losses could be called justifiable.

Frankly I don't think that mostly successfully defending against a 3+ times stronger enemy is something that can't be turned into a success by propaganda. There's nothing more to be achieved until demographic tendencies are reverted and people from front lines return into workforce.

And Ukraine joining NATO just didn't ever seem likely.