As the invasion reaches the end of its third year, at an estimated cost of a million people, killed or wounded, Ukraine appears to be losing.

In distant Washington, meanwhile, the unpredictable Donald Trump, not famous for his love of Ukraine or its leader, is about to take over in the White House.

It feels like an inflection point. But could 2025 really be the year when this devastating European conflict finally comes to a close - and if so what could the endgame look like?

'Talk of negotiations is an illusion'

Trump's promise to end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office is a typically grandiose boast, but it comes from a man who has clearly lost patience with the war and America's costly involvement.

"The numbers of dead young soldiers lying on fields all over the place are staggering," he has said. "It's crazy what's taking place."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2ldpnyewx1o