Some of these effects are obvious. The war inevitably led to a flood of people leaving Ukraine and seeking refuge in other countries. Poland immediately opened its doors to refugees and now hosts one and a quarter million Ukrainians. Just under a million now live in Germany. Live updates on the Ukraine war Six months after the start of the war, there have been almost nine million border crossings from Ukraine. But, notably, there have been more than 4.75 million crossings in the opposite direction. Some of them are workers, journalists or activists. But most of them are Ukrainians, who decided to return to their homeland. And this reinforces one of the key lessons from this conflict – that Ukrainians have an extraordinary level of resilience. I remember being in the west of the country after the war started and watching the huge queues forming at the recruitment centres. At the corner, we met young men driving through the night to get supplies to the soldiers. I also remember meeting a young mother who had fled with her children and she told us about her pride in her country and her husband, who had stayed at home in Kharkiv to fight. She was exhausted, but hairy when we offered to buy her a drink. She could buy her own food, she said, and would return home as soon as she could. The war gave a sense of unity to the European Union. He rushed to implement new rules, giving Ukrainian refugees the right to stay in the EU for three years. He sent weapons and money, flexed diplomatic muscle and seemed to discover a sense of concerted purpose that has long proved elusive. And, crucially, that sense of single purpose has endured. Europe, in standing by Ukraine, exuded a pride it has not shown for years. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 3:34 Sky’s Adam Parsons with refugees in Lviv during the early days of the war There have been problems – Germany has been slow to supply useful military supplies and has had to accept criticism for its past reliance on Russian energy. Emmanuel Macron’s attempts to negotiate personally with Vladimir Putin have appeared naive at times. But the Franco-German axis, around which the EU now revolves, was resolute in its determination to support Ukraine. But there are cracks and, in the last six months, they may be widening. Take Hungary, an EU member state but also a country led by a nationalist prime minister who has long cultivated a close relationship with Russia. Image: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has pushed for lighter sanctions Hungary has lobbied for the sanctions to be eased, arguing that restrictions on Russian energy imports hurt the buyer more than the seller. It’s a call echoed by other populist politicians, from Marine Le Pen in France, who described the sanctions as “useless”, to Matteo Salvini in Italy – a politician who once walked into the European Parliament wearing a Putin T-shirt. face. Next month, Italy holds a general election and it is very likely that Mr Salvini will end up as part of the winning coalition. The Kremlin has been linked to a disinformation campaign in the country, and it may be working. Polls show that, of all Europeans, Italians are the most likely to blame someone other than Russia for the war. Chances are that the biggest party in the Italian elections will be the Brothers of Italy, led by Giorgia Meloni. So far, she has said she would maintain her nation’s support for action in Ukraine and opposition to Mr Putin. Image: Leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party Giorgia Meloni Read more: Rape video shared by Italian PM hopeful Giorgia Meloni removed from Twitter But if that attitude changes, even slightly, in Russia’s favor, then alarm bells will ring. There are those who support, for example, a ceasefire agreement that hands over Ukrainian land to Russia. Unpleasant to many, not just in Ukraine, but a balm to those in Hungary, Italy and beyond who want to be on decent terms with Mr Putin when the dust settles. The truth is that no one advocates some kind of friendship with Russia. But there are those – Viktor Orbán, Ms Le Pen, Mr Salvini – who insist the pain is not worth it. And these are politicians with a lot of support. Beyond the EU’s borders, the war appears to be creating other problems – Serbia, a close ally of Russia, is stoking tensions in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. Western Balkan countries grumble that they have been patiently pursuing EU membership for more than a decade, but are now worried that Ukraine has jumped ahead of them in the queue. Image: A policeman stands next to a floral arch of sunflowers at the door of 10 Downing Street. Read more: Rising gas prices threaten big trouble for Europe And, of course, rising energy costs are affecting economies everywhere. The harder life gets, the more traction there is on the idea that sanctions do more harm than good. “Every time someone mentions fatigue or sanctions fatigue, Putin does something horrible and the questions disappear,” a senior source told me this week. But what if that doesn’t happen? So what if the issue of fatigue is allowed to linger. Europe has been decisive for six months, but so has Mr. Putin. As the weather grows colder, the bills rise and the war rages on, Europe’s sense of resolve and camaraderie will be threatened. The question is whether it will last.
