Putin went to war for Russian sovereignty. He flew to Beijing this week hoping Xi will finalise a gas pipeline replacing the European market Russia destroyed. The act of independence produced the most comprehensive dependency in Russian history.
Ukraine’s war did not end with a peace agreement. It ended with an American pivot. Washington’s absorption in the Iran conflict left Kyiv without the political attention its position requires. Ukraine was not abandoned in a moment of decision — it was quietly deprioritised in a different crisis.
