I wouldn’t give Putin too much credit. A lot of analysts have astutely observed that Putin can only start conflicts but can’t finish them. Even Georgia is an unresolved business. But of course, that problem culminated with Ukraine. Decades of consolidating power for himself and rebuilding Russia’s prestige is undone in just five years. Putin’s Russia excel at information war but not actual physical war.

Russia has been weakened just as the US. The real winner is China.