"Assessing the Impact: Putin's War on Ukraine and the Russian Economy"

An economist warns that Russia's economy is so entwined with the war in Ukraine that it cannot afford to either win or lose. The nation's GDP growth is largely driven by military spending, causing other sectors to suffer. Even if Russia wins, it may struggle to rebuild and secure Ukraine due to financial costs and isolation from global markets. The country's best hope may lie in becoming entirely dependent on China, but the costs of rebuilding its own nation are already massive, leading to a situation where a protracted stalemate might be the only solution to avoid total economic collapse.