A powerful card
None of this guarantees Ukraine a victory over Russia, or even success at the negotiating table. What it does do is boost the odds that, when the guns finally fall silent, Ukraine will have a viable future and a powerful post-war “card” to play.
Were the war to end tomorrow, Ukraine would have lost territory but gained military partnerships and significant investments, along with a new engine for its security and economic future. Russia, meanwhile, would struggle to reassemble an economy that has been badly battered, one that relies almost solely on the fickle oil market and the war economy itself.
All of which is to say: chalk one up for Ukraine. These aren’t just wins for Kyiv’s coffers, or for its ability to wreak fresh havoc on Russian targets. They are also a valuable asset that isn’t going anywhere, no matter what happens on the battlefield. For a country that will need every possible resource to rebuild, that is not just a card. It is an ace.