The war was very thoroughly prepared for ignition since 2013 and is currently almost guaranteed to become eternal, for all practical purposes (at least till neocons are thrown away from the White House, and Putin & Zelensky bite the dust), because all participants have vested interests in keeping it this way. The declared goal, to drive Russia out of all the Ukraine, within its borders of 2013, is formulated, precisely, to be an unattainable one, so that war could be kept sizzling forth.

However I must remind that the gross majority of Ukrainians doesn't see their own country as a hill to die on, but rather as a poor EU suburb to escape from. The main difference is that Ukrainian women are considered worthy life, freedom, and embedded sources of income (i.e., exploitation),

whereas Ukrainian males are destined for slaughter, because, unlike in Russia, borders are closed for them.