In Reply to: NYT Op/Ed: The Donbas, is it Putin's prize, or... posted by SagoBob on August 17, 2025 at 12:34:15
Russia has already lost the 2nd Cold War in the few years since the sart of the Ukraine war.
They've lost most of their soft power.
They are now subservient to India/China.
N. Korea has their technology.
The border with NATO is much longer. NATO is rearming.
NATO is no longer reliant on Russian energy/exports.
Russia influence in the middle east/Africa has dwindled.
Russia lost a million of their best young talent.
Now Russia is a very old country with very few young people to pay for the government retirement obligations.
The Caucasus countries are openly rebelling against Russian influence.
Whether Russia gets the Donbas or not, they are done other than their influence in social media and industrial sabotage.