A former Ukrainian government spokeswoman says she has been sanctioned and threatened with prison for publicly arguing that Ukraine should end the war — bad news for anyone hoping Ukraine still has open debate.

• Julia Mendel, once Zelensky's press secretary, was hit with Ukrainian sanctions days before a planned peace speech at the European Parliament, and then blocked from entering the building.
• The sanctions freeze her bank accounts and order her social media pages hidden from people inside Ukraine; a treason case that could carry a life sentence is still pending.
• Ukraine is losing soldiers and civilians at a rate of tens of thousands a month, and has only a fraction of Russia's pool of fighting-age men — the math for a long war does not work.
• Forced conscription has turned into a bribe economy worth billions a year, with men hiding in their homes for months to avoid being grabbed off the street.
• Zelensky has stayed in power seven and a half years without an election and would likely lose one, so ending the war means ending his rule.

Outlook: With warehouses, power plants and gas stations destroyed, a hard winter and a new wave of refugees heading into Europe look likely before any peace deal.