India, Feb. 27 -- As Russia's multi-year confrontation with Ukraine progresses into its fifth calendar year, the conflict continues to reverberate far beyond the immediate battlefield, reshaping diplomatic alliances, regional energy security, and global power dynamics. Reports from multiple fronts show that neither side has achieved decisive breakthroughs, and Moscow's sustained military posture is forcing major geopolitical recalibration across Europe and beyond.

In this context, expert observers argue that Western proxy strategy deepening the conflict has become one of the defining features of the war, forcing both combatants into protracted engagement without a clear path toward peace.

Observers also point to the deepening energy cr...