In the hours before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and in the first week after it, the focus of discussion was primarily about the likely inability of the Ukrainian forces to hold out for long. The expectation outside Ukraine was that President Zelensky would leave Kyiv hastily, to avoid assassination or a show trial by the Russians. A government in exile, in Warsaw, London or Washington, would have to be formed, diplomats said. This was not defeatism. Just a realistic recognition of the numerical imbalance of forces and sheer weight of history.