The Ukraine war revealed a Russian military that was far more fragile than assumed, and these weaknesses have multiplied as limited resources are funneled toward the immediate demands of the battlefield. When the dust has finally settled, Moscow will face tough questions over whether to rebuild its military capacity as a superpower or a middle power.

There is no middle ground for post-Putin Russia. It will either remain a feral, aggressive, isolated Empire, or it will fall apart with a deafening crash. A transitional, cozy European alternative for this territory simply does not exist.

Russia’s wartime economy has helped Moscow weather the storm of Western sanctions, and it’s poised to become a key source of foreign reserves once the Ukraine war is over.

The long-awaited breakdown of the Russian war economy may be finally at hand, albeit too late for the outgoing Biden administration to take diplomatic advantage of it.

Fearing secondary sanctions, Chinese banks are limiting their involvement with sanctioned Russian businesses. The resulting liquidity crunch is creating new inflationary pressures for the Russian economy.

The Russian economy has proven far more resilient than Western planners assumed, but strong headwinds loom in the near future.

The Russian economy, supported by its energy sector, has successfully weathered the brunt of Western sanctions so far. But this resilience is predicated on China’s unwavering support and pre-war reserves, both of which are finite.

The Russian economy has proven far more resilient than many predicted at the onset of the Ukraine war. But there’s a limit to how long Moscow can spend beyond its means.

Bolstered by illicit and licit trade flows, the Russian economy appears to be weathering the sanction storm amid the Ukraine war.

Macroeconomic indicators can be deceptive when assessing the ongoing impact of Western sanctions on the Russian economy.

There’s no relief in sight for the long-suffering Russian economy, which is now faced with new sanctions and a renewed currency plunge.