The US Can Deprive Kremlin Of Last Resort

ISW explains why Russia can’t win.

It is known that the combined gross product (GDP) of the EU, NATO countries and allies from Asia is $63 trillion, and the GDP of the Russian Federation is only $1.9 trillion.

At the same time, Iran and North Korea have little to add in terms of real support. If China helps, it is still not so open. Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) estimated the situation.

The rhetoric that Russia cannot be defeated because of its large budget and economy is a Russian information operation and the Kremlin's strategy, which gives it the only chance of success in the war against Ukraine.

The Kremlin wants to first move the United States away from Ukraine, and then the EU. The Kremlin's strategy is not military, and it is aimed at making the whole world see what Putin wants.

Those whose point of view coincides with the Kremlin’s are deceived people. In public debates, the Kremlin associates sincere sentiments and even some legitimate arguments with Russia's interests. The Kremlin is also an equal opportunity manipulator. It is partly successful on all sides of the political spectrum. Perception manipulation is one of the Kremlin's core capabilities, which is now fully engaged against the Western public as the Kremlin's only strategy for victory in Ukraine.

The US can deprive the Russian Federation of its only strategy for success. On the one hand, the United States allowed Russia to play a role in shaping the American decision-making process, on the other hand, Washington made many reasonable decisions in the war in Ukraine.

There is one disadvantage in the fact that the events on the battlefield in 2023 are the result of the inability of the West to quickly delve into reality on the battlefield.

The United States can beat the Kremlin if it provides the necessary assistance to Ukraine on the battlefield in time. Delays are achieved at the cost of Ukrainian lives, increased risk of failure in Ukraine, and erosion of U.S. advantage over Russia, giving the Kremlin time to rebuild and develop the capabilities it intends to use against the West.

To eliminate the last resort of the Russian Federation, Washington's decisions must be timely and related to the interests of Ukraine.