STORY: Two years on, peace still elusive in Ukraine crisis
SHOOTING TIME: recent image in 2024/file
DATELINE: Feb. 24, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:04
LOCATION: Moscow/Kiev
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Ukraine
2.STANDUP 1 (English): PENG PEIGEN, Xinhua Correspondent in Moscow
3. various of Ukraine
4. STANDUP 2 (English): PENG PEIGEN, Xinhua Correspondent in Moscow
5. various of Kiev and Moscow
6. STANDUP 3 (Chinese): LI DONGXU, Xinhua correspondent
7. various of Kiev

STORYLINE:

STANDUP 1 (English): PENG PEIGEN, Xinhua correspondent 
"As the full-scale fight in Ukraine enters its third year, the prospect of peace still seems elusive."

In the battlefield, Russia appears to have the upper hand, with the capture of Avdiivka, a strategic stronghold in the Donetsk region. Now, Kiev and its backers are facing an even harder situation than before.

To more and more analysts, the balance of war is tipping in Russia's favor.

However, on the other hand, the battlefield situation is not so serious to the point where Ukraine is at risk of a full-scale collapse.

STANDUP 2 (English): PENG PEIGEN, Xinhua correspondent 
"Meanwhile, global attention to the Russia-Ukraine conflicts has been dwindling since 2023, and Western populations are becoming increasingly fatigued by the ongoing conflict."

Nearly half of the U.S. public believes the country is spending too much on Ukraine, according to the recent Gallup poll.

The U.S. election campaign has already negatively affected the delivery of more aid to Ukraine.

Both Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly said they want the war to end, but on their terms.

Given the significant differences in goals and Western nations' wavering position, for most analysts, a negotiated solution in 2024 does not look promising at this point.

STANDUP 3 (Chinese): LI DONGXU, Xinhua correspondent
"In the past year, Ukraine's economic situation has become increasingly worrisome. According to data released by the National Bank of Ukraine, the budget deficit in Ukraine reached a historic high in 2023, totaling 1.3 trillion hryvnias (35 billion U.S. dollars), equivalent to 20% of the country's GDP. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal recently said in an interview that since the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Ukraine's overall economy has declined by 30%, with a loss of 3.5 million jobs. At the same time, the ongoing conflict has inflicted significant damage on the well-being of people of the two countries. Both Russia and Ukraine have used missiles and drones to carry out attacks, causing huge numbers of casualties and damage to infrastructure, seriously impacting the normal lives of local residents."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Moscow/Kiev.
(XHTV)