larry johnson presents some realities of the ukie war. this is one element of how empires collapse. they prefer dogma to reality which violates their self image. its going on in the eu at least as much as here;

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth Leo Tolstoy’s book, War and Peace, which has over 580,000 words. It is posted below… The video shows 86 villages and towns that Russia has captured since September 2025. This video illustrates why the retired US military officers who appear on mainstream media to analyze the war in Ukraine are a bunch of clowns.

During 2025, several retired and active duty US military leaders have publicly claimed that Russian gains are incremental, costly, and not indicative of a decisive breakthrough. These views align with analyses from think tanks like the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which describe Russian offensives as “grinding” and “foot-pace” with high casualties relative to territorial gains. Below is a list of notable figures who have made such statements in interviews, op-eds, or public forums this year. I’ve focused on direct quotes or paraphrases from verified 2025 sources:

General Ben Hodges (former U.S. Army Europe commander): In May 2025 remarks, he described a phase where “neither side can knock out the other,” highlighting Russia’s underperformance, failure to achieve air superiority, and high costs without decisive gains......more.........