Russia has the upper hand
The imminent return of Donald Trump to the White House has dramatically reframed the discussion about the Ukraine war. After years of insisting on a Ukrainian military victory at any cost, the Western political and media establishment appears to be begrudgingly acknowledging that this war can only end either through negotiations or Ukraine’s collapse under the strain of depleted manpower and resources. Given that the likelihood of the latter scenario is becoming increasingly apparent — in spite of the final aid package announced by the outgoing Biden administration on Monday — it’s not surprising that even the usually hawkish New York Times recently concluded that “it’s time to plan for the postwar phase”.
