The military deadlock, fatigue of public opinion and fear of escalation are all working in Moscow's favor, to the detriment of Europe, at a time when the latter is being abandoned by its American ally.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Moscow could not consider "any options" for European peacekeepers being sent to Ukraine and that the idea was aimed at fuelling the conflict and making it harder to de-escalate.

The U.S. is lobbying countries around the world to oppose a resolution brought forward at the U.N. General Assembly by Ukraine and European countries.