That is why the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, continues to plead with the West for more weapons. President Biden and leaders of both parties in Congress support a $40 billion package that the House has passed and the Senate is likely to pass soon. Much of Europe has also strongly aligned itself with Ukraine; Sweden and Finland have moved to NATO in recent days.
Still, Putin’s new, sluggish strategy could succeed, especially if the West eventually gets tired of helping Ukraine. In the US, many Trump-friendly Republicans are already skeptical of the war: Tucker Carlson makes this clear on his Fox News show, and 57 House Republicans voted against the $40 billion aid package.
On the other hand, Russia faces its own domestic challenges: sanctions are hurting its economy, and the industrial sector — which can’t easily import parts — is struggling to make enough precision weapons, Julian said.
Russia is also running out of troops available to fight. Putin could increase these numbers by instituting a draft. But if he did, he would have to recognize that the war in Ukraine is, in fact, a war rather than the humble operation he has portrayed — probably because he knows public support is weak.
“As it stands, Russian options are shrinking,” Michael Kofman of CNA, a Washington research group, wrote recently. “The more they drag their feet, the further their ability to support the war deteriorates, and the worse their next options.”
For now, Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, a top US intelligence official, told Congress, “The Russians aren’t winning and the Ukrainians aren’t winning.”
Related: Even if Russia continues to struggle, the West’s endgame isn’t that easy, explains Times Opinion’s Ross Douthat.