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Oh please! It’s the opposite. The entire US strategy is not to help Ukraine but to hurt Russia, and the US is doing an amazing job of that. Russia has lost billions (directly and more indirectly) fighting this war, they have lost a lot of materiel and have lost of a lot of soldiers. The illusion of the ‘mighty Russian military machine’ has also been dented.

Sure, Ukraine has also lost a lot - their country is in shambles, their economy is gone, and any military victories are simply because of military intelligence and weaponry provided by the West. Sure, the Ukrainian fighting man has shown he has real grit, but without the assistance of the West the whole shebang would have been over months ago. I also don’t like the manner in which the media makes it look like Ukraine is winning and it’s only Russia that’s losing. The truth is that if Russia has lost 100K soldiers Ukraine has lost the same amount.

But with that said, Russia has been greatly damaged by that war. Russia has been humiliated, their military shown to be wanting, and Putin’s plan definitely is not going the way he originally wanted.

Yes - I know someone will come and say ‘but Ukraine is without water or electricity’ or something like that. Sure, that is true. Ukraine has been hit hard and only the foolish make it seem like someone they are unscathed. That country has been devastated.

But Russia has been hit hard, and they are being bled out. It’s not Russia bleeding out the States but the West bleeding out Russia. Those US/European weapons that are running out - well, that is across several countries. Russia’s weapons are being expended and it’s all coming from Russia. That’s why they are getting stuff from North Korea and Iran.

That would be like the US getting weapons from Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.

Apologies to any headhunters and kiwis in the group …

I also don’t like the manner in which the media makes it look like Ukraine is winning and it’s only Russia that’s losing. The truth is that if Russia has lost 100K soldiers Ukraine has lost the same amount.

Russia has more than 3x the population of Ukraine. And the number of dead Russian civilians is negligible. Ukraine can't keep this up. Frankly, neither can Russia. But I bet they stand the meat grinder longer than Ukraine.

But Russia has been hit hard, and they are being bled out. It’s not Russia bleeding out the States but the West bleeding out Russia.

In General Zaluzhny's interview with The Economist last week, he sounded pretty desperate, like he knows the end is near for Ukraine. I don't think the Russians will launch their great winter offensive like many predict. I think they will keep doing what they're doing - grinding, pounding, bleeding, until the Ukrainian army collapses. This strategy fits better with how the Russians have fought wars in the last 200+ years.

https://www.economist.com/zaluzhny-transcript