“Can’t Putin?”
Of course he can. But there are some on FR who love conquerors, especially if the conquered are smaller and weaker than the conqueror. I think there’s a psychological term for that.
Apparently so.
Zelensky is apparently at fault for continuing a war that he didn’t start - a foreign country invaded his country to conquer it - Zelensky is at fault. Putin / Russia are not.
These people are truly insane.
The Ukraine is indeed both smaller than and weaker than the Russian Empire.
That said, in 2022 the Ukraine had 200,000 man active military which was equipped with similar, and in many instances identical, armaments as the Russians. Russian forces engaged are also right around 200,000 (or were)
Furthermore, the Ukrainian armed forces had been as war since 2014 with the two Russian puppet states which “broke away” after an elected government in Kiev was overthrown by a the “Euro-Maiden” coup.
Most of the Ukrainian army has been fighting from within an unbroken line of fortifications which have been enhanced and strengthened over the last eight years, and where it fought without the benefit of said defensive line, it nevertheless defeated the Russian forces in spectacular fashion.
Bottom line: Unless and until Russia brings the full force of its empire to bear, the war is being fought on esssentially equal terms.