Brussels, Washington, And The Kremlin’s Exports, Oil And Gas For War

A major Ukrainian drone operation dubbed ”Spiderweb”, conducted on Sunday, June 1, damaged strategic bomber assets deep in Russia. The attack, combined with a strike against the multi-billion-dollar Kerch Strait bridge built after Moscow annexed the Crimea in 2014 to connect it to the Russian mainland, was a huge blow, both in image and in substance.

However, it comes at a time when Russia’s economic picture is quietly improving, and the offensive picking up steam, which has allowed Moscow to refuse to make any real progress on ceasefire talks despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s best efforts. Financial improvement is excellent news for Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, who is hellbent on outrunning economic decline at home and attaining victory on the battlefield.

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