Ukraine, Russia and Game Theory
Main Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/01/russia-ukraine-war-latest-updates/
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and at the time they probably expected an easy win. After all, they had more weapons, a larger army, and the element of surprise. Little did they know that half a year later, they would be the ones in shambles.
President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine defended their nation with great force, and was even able to receive the backing of many powerful countries. Even so, Ukraine called for negotiations with Russia yet Russia did not accept it. In fact, they attacked with even more force and brutality. Now, the thought of a peaceful outcome is hard to see.
The reason why is because the concept of game theory, which is the study of strategic choices (aka wins and losses) between two side. Currently, both nations would want to come out on top with the most “wins” if they have talks about negotiation. This would be impossible to see, however, due to the actions that Russia has taken against Ukraine. This will be hard for Ukraine to allow any “wins” for Russia since any win for Russia would mean an immediate loss for Ukraine. On a “human/moral side,” this becomes even more complicated. Russia’s attack on Ukraine was unprovoked and costed the lives of so many people, so Ukraine probably wants revenge or payback in some way. Looking at it now, having a successful negotiation will only happen if one side takes a heavy loss, and game theory says that this will not be easy to achieve.