Russia's growing isolation changes the balance of war

The prospect of Russian victory in this war of attrition has become unacceptable for the West and many rising powers and developing states that aspire to assume greater influence in the world system. Every minor success that Russian troops achieve in the desolate Donbas battlefields reinforces the conclusion of many countries that Putin’s war is unacceptable. Paradoxically, these shallow battlefield advances weaken rather than strengthen Russia’s position internationally. Renewed Western resolve to roll back Moscow’s invasion is beginning to coincide more strongly with the interests of the “world majority.” The approval of the US aid package to Ukraine is sure to boost this resolve and has the potential to alter the course of the war, in which a Ukrainian victory will signify a collective win for the global community.