Is Russia losing the war with Ukraine?

Russia invades Ukraine. Peace stalks seem far away. And how much money has the U.S. sent to Ukraine anyway? All good questions as Putin's aggression continues.

Only a few months after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus asked a journalist, “Tell me how this ends.” As the war between Russia and Ukraine  passes its sixth month, this question feels timely once again. On Monday, Russia’s FSB security agency claimed that Ukraine’s secret services had orchestrated a shocking car bomb that killed the daughter of a close Putin ally, war booster and Russian ultranationalist over the weekend. This claim, made without evidence, could well be a ploy for Russian escalation.

While our crystal ball may be cloudy, the number of possible outcomes seem to be narrowing.

Clearly, the situation is changing, which makes any definitive answer to this query impossible. But while our crystal ball may be cloudy, the number of possible outcomes seem to be narrowing.

Importantly, war is a “means,” not an “end.” And this war was misunderstood before it even started. Many experts argued that Moscow would never go through with an invasion. Others believed the Kremlin would quickly occupy much of the country, based on Russia’s overwhelming military superiority. The strength and resilience of the Ukrainian resistance was grossly underestimated. The abilities of the Russian military were terribly overestimated.

That poor read of military capability has defined the war thus far. The determination of Ukraine and its Western allies will define it in the future. The West is confronted with another “long twilight struggle,” as President John F. Kennedy called it, that will continue even after this conflict ends. Time remains a significant resource on both sides, as Moscow works to hold its population’s support together and undermine democratic values.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/russia-losing-war-ukraine-rcna44437

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