Dude, Russia is supposed to be a military superpower with the 2nd most powerful military on earth(yes many western and Eastern expects and publications used to put Russia military power even above that of China. Lol ) so they shouldn't even be sweating that hard in defeating a lesser power like Ukraine. Obviously Ukraine is the underdog BY FAR and they are the ones on the defensive since they are the ones whose territory is being invaded by a much larger/powerful country. You expected Ukraine to defeat Russia in the first place? There should be nothing surprising for anybody if Russia had crushed Ukraine like everyone or most people expected to do, the surprise is that not only were rhey unable to do so but they were even pushed back at some point and they are still bogged down in Ukraine after 2 years with no victory in sight. Of course Ukraine whose territory is being invaded and fought over will suffer far more material and economic damage since its on their home soil the invading army is fighting on and they are rhe weaker side. So I don't understand why you are using that as some sort of victory for Russia?
You generally appear logical, however, you need to look at this from a different perspective entirely.
Weren't people like you always boasting about how you (NATO) have 40 times larger nominal GDP than Russia, and how they are a joke economically or something?
So, why haven't you now curb-stomped Russia with economic sanctions and your military-industrial shipments to Ukraine?
Remember, this is not only the US (addressing that part of military rankings), but the entire NATO/Western countries, including Japan (7) and SK (5).
The UK is for example 6, Italy 10, France 11. If you take the 2024 GFP rankings (although I don't agree with them).
And don't say how NATO isn't involved in the war to a big extent already, they are, in both the strategy, equipment, intelligence, psyop, and increasingly even boots on the ground.
I don't think that any Western quite "liberal" soldier, from France or the UK, for example, would've performed in this war better than the entire male population of the Ukraine who is fighting Russia as cannon fodders in massive numbers for ideology.
So, the only thing NATO didn't do against Russia (mass mobilization from the member state), is already taken care of by Ukrainians,
So essentially, NATO is already fully involved against Russia in all areas that could make a difference.
Also, there is no way that NATO member states would even AGREE to mass mobilize their own military forces against Russia, in an event like this one now, when Russia didn't attack them, or put aside larger percentages of their budgets for that war not affecting them.
So, NATO is already doing everything it COULD against Russia, not that they are withholding something.
You say that everyone said how Russia would quickly defeat Ukraine but weren't also the people like you the ones who said that you have financial 'nuclear bombs' against Russia, how you would turn 'rubles to rubbles', etc? You forgot about that?
For your points about Russia being in a far better social/political situation compared to the West and Russia not having much riots/protests etc. I don't even know how to address that point.
Of course Russia's political system is different dude. The country is run by a one man system..in short the system itself is Putin. Little to nobody can dare challenge him and go unpunished without repercussions. I'm not saying their system is wrong or whatever, since they can adopt the system they want it's up to them not our call. I'm just saying Russias system is different from most Western countries who have a multi party democratic system with constant change of government/leadership through public votes and where the system actually encourages the leader/ruling party being challenged/contradicted and contested with very strong institutions( Congress, Parliament, independent judiciary etc) which means leaders/authorities don't think losing power or being replaced is the end of the world. So of course social reality will be different from Russia. It's no wonder you see many wealthy and even middle class Russians have emigrated to the West in large numbers. If the West system and reality was so bad and collapsing they won't be going there, don't you think? In fact Westerners will be the ones trying to emigrate to Russia, NO?
Anyway, each system has its own benefits and faults. Just that from what we have seen so far most people still prefer living in the system we have in the West than Russia's I guess.
Yes, I understand that the Western system and the Russian system are very different, I'm not an idiot.
I'm just asserting that the Russian system is way superior to fight such prolonged, global 'wars of attrition'.
The last bolder part I totally disagree with. Way more countries and a way larger percentage of the entire human population live in a system much closer to the Russian current system than to the Western-style liberal democracy, and the gap is expanding with time.
Generally, there has been studies that show such countries rate their system way higher than liberal democracy in satisfaction metrics.
Also, citizens living under such Western-style systems are massively losing confidence in them, so quite the opposite.
But, that is off-topic, however, I have all of that backed up by data, so I can send you or post it all elsewhere.