Russia may take up to THIRTY YEARS to rebuild its economic and military strength after the war

Russian President Vladimir Putin has crippled the country’s economy and military to such an extent that it may take up to 30 years for the nation to regain its superpower status, Western officials believe.

There have been more than 100,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine, while Russia has spent a quarter of its annual budget on the conflict.

Kyiv has destroyed half of Russia’s tanks, while Moscow has rapidly depleted its stock of shells, missiles and ammunition. A senior British government source told The Times it could take 20 to 30 years for Russia to regain its economic and military strength.

On a visit to the US this week, Ukraine’s President Zelensky said money given to the country by Western countries was an “investment” and called on allies to pledge more military support to avert the threat of Russia. Your money is not charity. It is an investment in global security and democracy,’ he said.

PICTURED: Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during his briefing after the State Council meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow on December 22, 2022.

President Biden has agreed to provide Ukraine’s Patriot air defense systems, which will enable Kyiv to shoot down cruise and ballistic missiles.

It has refused to sanction the donation of Atacms, a surface-to-surface missile system that can hit targets up to 190 miles away. He also suggested that NATO allies were concerned about giving Ukraine an offensive weapon that could attack Russian territory.

Ukraine’s armed forces believe Putin could respond to the complications in the east and south with an attack on Kyiv around the anniversary of the invasion in February.

Putin traveled to Minsk earlier this week to meet Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. There are fears that Russia could use trains to quickly redeploy troops to Belarus to prepare for a new push towards Kyiv.

Pictured: A destroyed Russian tank and armored personnel carrier on the outskirts of Izyum, Kharkiv region, eastern Ukraine on September 14, 2022.

“Our expectation is that they will announce military exercises again in January as an excuse to significantly increase the number of Russian troops and the amount of military equipment in Belarus,” a Ukrainian defense source told The Times. But Lukashenko is making a big mistake. By allowing Russian troops into his territory, he is threatening himself even more than Ukraine.”

Zelensky received a standing ovation from members of Congress on his triumphant visit this week when he secured a major prize from Biden in the form of the $2 billion Patriot system.

The United States has previously sent Patriot batteries to NATO allies such as Poland as a way to bolster their defenses, and sent other weapons systems to Ukraine to help against the Russian invasion.

In recent years, the United States has sent Patriot missiles to Saudi Arabia and Iraq to counter threats posed by Iran and the Pacific region to deter North Korea.

In all, more than a dozen US allies, including Germany, Japan and Israel, have also purchased the system.

Pictured: The bodies of Russian soldiers lie on the ground in the recently retaken city of Lyman, Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 3, 2022.

The United States has sent defensive medium-range National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems to Ukraine in recent months.

It has sent about a third of its Javelin anti-tank missile stocks to Ukraine and a third of its Stinger anti-aircraft missile stocks, reports the Financial Times.

Before the invasion of Russia and after the outbreak of war in February, the US State Department notes that the US approved third-party transfers of 14 NATO allies and close partners to provide US-sourced equipment of their inventories for use by the Ukrainian forces.

He said deliveries to date include nearly 12,000 anti-armor systems of all types; more than 1,550 anti-aircraft missiles; radars; night vision devices; machine guns; rifles and ammunition; and bulletproof vests.

Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN that the US is “very focused” on providing air defense systems to Ukraine.

“Now we are very focused on air defense systems and not just on us, on many other countries,” Blinken said at the time.

Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers fire a Pion artillery system at Russian positions near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on December 16, 2022.

We’re working to make sure that the Ukrainians get those systems as quickly as possible but also in the most effective way possible, making sure that they’re trained on it, making sure that they can maintain it and all of that has to come together, and it’s.

“We have a very deliberate process set up by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Ramstein, Germany, that meets regularly to make sure the Ukrainians get what they need, when they need it.”

The Ukrainian president visited the eastern city of Bakhmut on Tuesday, now the epicenter of fighting in the nearly 10-month Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Zelensky met with military officials and handed out awards to the Ukrainian military, which has been holding off a months-long, fierce Russian campaign through the city.