this mirrors sun tzus axiom: long wars benefit no one - even those who might gain financially. an impoverished world is no prize. russias prolonged invasion has only worsened the country's population crisis, as described in rosstats projection of a 15.4 million population decrease by 2046. putins policies encouraging larger families to reverse these trendssuch as calling for women to have eight childrenseem increasingly futile in the face of such demographic and socio-political upheaval. as putin noted in a 2024 forum: > "women can cope with combining professional careers and motherhood... to remain guardians of the hearth and lynchpins of large families with many children." -newsweek, (2024) but rhetoric alone cannot reverse the decline of birth rates and migration that such lengthy campaigns accelerate. sun tzu underscores the immense responsibility of military and political leaders, whose decisions determine whether a nation thrives or is plunged into peril: > thus it may be known that the leader of armies is the arbiter of the people's fate, the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril. -sun tzu, ii.20 this principle is particularly relevant when assessing the leadership of both vladimir putin and volodymyr zelenskyy. the decisions of these leaders have far-reaching consequences not only for the present but for the future demographic and socio-political stability of their nations. putin, in his pursuit of an assertive and militaristic foreign policy, has tied russia's national identity and future well-being to its ability to assert dominance in ukraine. in doing so, he has placed the russian populace at immense risk, both in terms of war casualties and the exodus of skilled professionals.
United States