Arguably, Russia has already “lost” its war against Ukraine. After ten years and two invasions, Putin occupies only 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory and has lost a chunk of its own. Its “red lines” have been breached: Kursk is occupied, and Crimea soon will be. Russia’s army is mediocre, manned by teenagers from its hinterland and corrupt generals, and Russia will go down in history as the first nuclear power to be audaciously invaded by a foe.
The staggering cost to Russia in caskets, a brain drain, and lost economic opportunities continue. It’s a pariah nation. Putin is a fugitive war criminal. It lost its biggest energy market in Europe and has become dependent on China. Putin’s atrocities have backfired and resulted in a significant expansion of NATO and the biggest militarization of Europe since Hitler was defeated. An oil giant, Russia’s gasoline and diesel are being rationed to its people because Ukrainian missiles and drones have destroyed refineries, storage facilities, and pipelines. Its defense budget is unsustainable. Given all of that, now’s the time to finish it off. But Western allies still pull their punches.
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