So, the path to resolving the Russo-Ukrainian conflict isn’t going to be as simple as we might think. It’s not about just drawing new borders and calling it a day. This situation is way too complicated and deeply rooted for such easy fixes to work in the long run.

What we really need is to be honest about the different interests at stake. Ukraine has real economic needs that are connected to the rich resources hidden beneath the disputed territories. These resources could help rebuild and modernise the whole country. At the same time, many people in eastern Ukraine have strong cultural identities and connections that can’t just be ignored or wished away for political reasons.

One promising idea is a horizontal approach to peace. This means we can let these different layers of interest coexist without forcing them into competition. By separating the question of who benefits from underground resources from the question of how communities govern themselves culturally and politically, we can imagine arrangements that actually work for everyone’s basic needs. This kind of solution acknowledges reality as it is, not trying to force it into shapes that look neat on paper but fail in practice. For a conflict this complex, sustainable peace will likely require exactly this kind of creative thinking that goes beyond what we might think.