How is it "limited" on the Russian side? Exactly what would Russia do to "dish out more" in Ukraine?
Russia is spending 7.8% GDP on war: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS?locations=RU
Ukraine on the other hand, is at over 34.5% GDP on war: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS?locations=UA There is no more to give.
Russia has not even mobilized vast amounts of military aged males, in fact their forces in Ukraine are mostly contract soldiers. Russia could easily mobilize more and there were rumors of a large scale mobilization after the Russian elections of 300,000 - 500,000 men, which they could do, but Putin said will not happen (who knows - maybe this is election political talk):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Russian_legislative_election
https://www.dw.com/en/putin-rejects-mobilization-rumors-many-russians-unconvinced/a-79193386
The Russians can step up what the Euro’s call hybrid attacks into Europe. The Germans have NOT supplied Ukraine with systems like Taurus for a reason (probably a wise decision). The Germans are supplying components for long range drones etc. and as a response there is a series of unexplainable fires at war industrial plants, all of a sudden, all across the country: https://news.usni.org/2026/08/19/report-to-congress-on-russian-hybrid-warfare-in-europe IMHO, this was another attempt to send a message: https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/06/europe/germany-explosives-packed-drone-airport-intl The drone wasn’t used, nor shot down or defective... Explosives on the drone, functional drone, next to Ukrainian aircraft being loaded with goodies for the war.
The Russians can seize French or UK merchant vessels just like the French and UK can seize the Russian ones: https://news.usni.org/2026/06/26/french-seizes-5th-russian-shadow-fleet-tanker In fact, the Russians do not even need to go through the trouble of seizing anything as this would open a whole other can of worms depending where it is. Just call the merchant vessel and warn them that in 10 minutes they will get sunk. You do realize the Russia have a navy with quite a bit of reach?: https://russianships.info/eng/today/
Based on past conversations, you likely believe in eminent Ukrainian victory, and how Russia started this war (the BS “unprovoked” narrative), and how we’re not the ones escalating things.
We started this war with this decision: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-president-zelenskiy-holding-talks-with-biden-adviser-says-2021-12-09/ That was a logical “red line” that we crossed, and knew we had crossed, and would not accept, and historically (Cuban missile crisis, Grenada 83) have not accepted, if in Russia’s position today.
Despite folks like you already planning victory parades for Ukraine, things actually weren’t going so well for them ever since the failed late 2022 - early 2023 counter offensive. Ukraine blew through their reserves and since then has not had the ability to really launch a viable counter offensive. They are just fighting a defense in a war of attrition where their adversary has ALL the numbers on their side: GDP/PPP (economic volume, manufacturing base, war specific industry, military aged males, R&D centers, per-existing war stock/inventory, size and capabilities of Intel apparatus.
NATO throwing it’s Intel and war/industrial base, logistics, training, opening the flood gates for mercenaries from Central/South America, providing Ukraine with cash, electrical power, medical supplies, fuel, helping with Information Operations made a HUGE difference. This war would not be ongoing without US/NATO/EU help. But no matter how much material and Intel we provide, you need warm bodies that have a pulse, and Ukraine is finding it more and more difficult to find these.
The West / NATO began the game of escalation in the hopes of salvaging things, delivering long range missiles (example Storm Shadow), seizing tankers, dabbling in terrorism. It doesn’t matter that it was Ukraine that started a wave of terror attacks across Russia already in mid 2022, they are our proxy and we are complacent, so we are responsible: Darya Dugina, Vladlen Tatarsky (early cases).... You do realize in some of these attacks the culprits have been caught, they were fleeing towards Ukraine and this would require a “passage of lines” in an active war zone which requires coordination... Sending more and new weapon systems like the F16 and fleets of Western MBTs etc. in 2024...
I know you’re having wet-dreams at the thought of another European war that kills 65 - 80 million people and us possibly getting sucked into this. We haven’t had a really good one for a long time and are long over due to have 418,000 Americans die in some Euro war again. But that probably should be avoided.
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This is a war which never should have happened.
Pushing NATO expansion: High risk (probability that things turn bad), high cost (magnitude if things do turn bad), low return for us (even if we get what we want, there was no huge economic and security benefit to us). Ukraine wasn’t even an intelligent gable.
That is why calling this a “stupid war” is a good description of what we have today.
If the Euro’s want to keep this stupid war going and for heavens sake not let Trump lead this, let them pay for it, let them assume the risks associated with it. If they botch things up and things spiral out of control, we should NOT re-enter as some sort of Calvary. This is their war now, especially after Iran where they “once again” do nothing.
War is not always avoidable. But when you beat the drums for war, it should at least make sense.