pcr has been skeptical of the russian efforts in the ukraine; 

Putin Has Been at War in Donbas for Longer than It Took Stalin’s Red Army to Defeat Nazi Germany

Paul Craig Roberts

No one is afraid of Russia, not even tiny Moldova. Transnistia is a disputed territory that seceded from Moldova. Washington, having engineered an end to the Russia-Ukraine natural gas transit agreement means energy supply problems for Moldova, the president of which has “demanded that preparations be made for a violent seizure of the power station” in Transnistia, which, unless Putin surrenders to Moldova, means conflict with Russian peacekeepers.  https://sputnikglobe.com/20241223/moldovan-president-sandu-plans-to-seize-transnistria-power-station—russian-intel-service-1121243803.html 

Considering all the hot spots Washington has created for Russia–US missile bases on Russia’s borders in Poland, Romania, and Ukraine, the loss of Syria and possibly Russia’s naval and air bases, and troubles in Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova, Putin should have done a better job in projecting Russian power and protecting Russia’s military reputation.  

With the neoconservative ring closing around Russia and even China insisting on a non-military solution in Georgia, can Trump agree to Putin’s terms for a settlement in Ukraine?

Putin has been fighting in Ukraine for longer than it took Stalin’s Red Army to defeat Nazi Germany.  The Battle of Stalingrad, which stopped the German advance into Russia, ended on February 2, 1943, and the Russian counteroffensive began.  By May 1945  Germany surrendered. 

It took the Red Army 28 months to defeat Nazi Germany. Putin has been fighting in Donbas for 34 months and still has not cleared Ukrainian forces from the Russian territory, much less defeated and occupied Ukraine itself, and there are still Ukrainian forces inside the Kursk region of Russia itself..........https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2024/12/23/putin-has-been-at-war-in-donbas-for-longer-than-it-took-stalins-red-army-to-defeat-nazi-germany/