Sanctions haven't collapsed the Russian economy. Russians haven't overthrown Putin because McDonald's left the Russian market. Russian military-industrial complex increased output. New missiles and drones are being developed. After just one partial mobilization in Russia, Ukraine isn't able to make any significant gains, while Russia continues to increase the size of its army to at some point begin big offensive when Ukraine eventually suffers critical losses from attrition warfare, being outmatched by Russia by atleast 5 times in mobilization resources. On the other hand Ukrainian economy is collapsed. Ukraine depends on foreign aid and loans just to survive. Ukrainian military-industrial complex is in bad shape, with Russia being able to target manufacturing sites across all of Ukraine. Corruption is another major problem acknowledged by officials, with Zelensky removing the minister of defence Oleksii Reznikov in September after corruption scandals earlier this year. Ukraine is out of motivated men. With former advisor to the office of the president of Ukraine Oleksii Arestovych admitting that half of male population liable for military service hasn't showed up to register. And among the other half there are many draft dodgers that register at local draft offices but then try to hide if they receive a draft notice. Officials openly state Ukraine fully depends on foreign weapons and money, not being able to survive without. Ukraine can prolong the agony but the goals president Zelensky is setting remain unattainable.
Russia is still making the money it needs and gets the things it wants. The only thing that changed is that there are now middlemen and proxy companies also making money to make it happen. Whether in Greece, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan or some other countries.
@talkrealopinion Negotiations need to restart now to save the Ukranians as a functioning entity
@talkrealopinion Sanctions are an egregious misdeed of the Washington bully.