Momentum Has Shifted Away From Russia

Last August, Vladimir Putin arrived on American soil expecting a favorable deal. Russia held the momentum, the February White House meeting with Zelenskyy was still fresh, and administration officials spoke as though Ukraine would eventually have to settle. A year on, the picture has inverted. Ukraine’s own missiles and drones have reached Russian refineries and logistics far behind the front, Moscow has extended its gasoline export ban and turned to imports, and Washington has moved toward joint drone production and Patriot interceptor licensing. Whether that amounts to a permanent shift is still an open question.