“The Russian people are increasingly feeling the effects of the Kremlin’s continued prioritization of the Russian defense industrial base,” the Institute for the Study of War said in a recent analysis. “ISW continues to assess that increased Western economic pressure on Russia, along with helping Ukraine maintain and even increase pressure on the battlefield, remains critical to changing Putin’s calculus and forcing Putin to face more serious tradeoffs between continuing to pursue his maximalist war aims and sacrificing the quality of life of the Russian people,” the analysis said. “The situation in the Russian economy has deteriorated markedly,” wrote Dmitry Belousov, head of the think tank, in a note seen by the Financial Times.
Author: Jason Ma
Published at: 2026-01-18 22:01:59
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