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Putin’s mesmeric sway on Trump
According to The Economist, 100,000 Russian troops have been killed in combat in 2025 alone — a roughly five to one ratio of Ukraine’s deaths. That is at least six times the Soviet Union’s 1980s death toll in Afghanistan — an unpopular war that drained support for Moscow’s regime. If those kill estimates are correct, Russia has a bigger recruitment problem than Ukraine in spite of having almost four times the population. Moreover, Ukraine’s ability to target Russia’s oil and gas war-funding spigot is draining Putin of money for his recruitment bonuses. He could be forced to shift to conscription for the frontline, which would jeopardise support for his regime. Though Ukraine continues to suffer from its own thinning ranks, invading armies tend to suffer heavier losses than defending ones.
It's just weird.
Putin has almost nothing to show for all that blood.
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What makes Trump so sure Putin is winning? Explaining why Putin is so good at sweet-talking the US president triggers polarised responses. Some believe that Putin has some kind of a secret hold over Trump. Others say that is deep state propaganda. Whatever lies behind Trump’s cupidity, we should be long past caring why. The reality is settled fact. Putin has fewer cards in his hand than Trump supposes. One of those cards is Trump.