‘The new opportunities have emerged: Putin is winning the war in Ukraine’, – The Economist reported

The situation surrounding the war in Ukraine currently indicates that Russia may achieve victory due to the hesitancy of Western allies of Kyiv.

This assessment is published by the British weekly, The Economist.

“The West could do much more to thwart the plans of Russian President Vladimir Putin. If willing, it could mobilize far greater industrial and financial resources than Russia has. However, fatalism, complacency and a shocking lack of strategic vision hinder it, especially in Europe. For the sake of itself and for Ukraine, the West urgently needs to wake up from this apathy,” stated in the editorial article. “The reason making Putin’s victory possible is that it depends on endurance, not territorial conquest.”

The publication suggests that the conflict could last for many more years; however, in 2024, Russia, having replenished artillery ammunition stocks and increased the production of drones, will be in a more advantageous position to continue the conflict than Ukraine. The Economist notes that Moscow is successfully transitioning the country onto a war footing, avoided elite division and social unrest. They continue to derive significant income from oil sales, as attempts by the West to “restrict prices on Russian oil failed due to the emergence of parallel structures for its distribution,” over which it has no influence.

Against this backdrop, “moods in Kyiv have become gloomier,” support for President Volodymyr Zelensky has dropped and internal political struggles have intensified. At the same time, in Western countries, despite statements about readiness for long-term support of Ukraine, doubts are growing about the wisdom of this approach. Both in Washington and Brussels, the process of allocating additional financial assistance to Kyiv has stalled and the upcoming presidential elections in a year threaten to further complicate the situation. The Economist notes that in Europe, serious preparations are not being made for the possibility of Donald Trump’s return to power, which could divide Ukraine’s allies.

According to the publication’s assessments, by 2025, fatigue from the conflict may significantly increase in Russia; however, there is no basis to hope for a change in regime. Therefore, Europe should proceed from the fact that Russia and its leadership will remain the “main long-term threat to European security.” European countries will need to reform their defense structures based on the fact that Russia will rearm and its troops will possess significant combat experience.