Russia’s Strategic Failure in Ukraine

Abstract

While the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 certainly had the immediate goal of eliminating pro-Western leadership and replacing it with a puppet, this strategic move was not successful, and the invasion has now escalated into a full-blown war. This article investigates the challenges involved and the variables that have contributed to Russia’s strategic decision to have Ukraine on its side becoming one in which it battles to maintain its hold on the tiny portions of Ukraine that it controls. Why has Russia failed to achieve its goal, and what elements will continue to influence the ongoing conflict? This study highlights both internal and external reasons that have influenced the nature of the war, including the Ukrainian political leadership’s willingness to take a permanent stand against Moscow’s age-old plan to annex Ukraine and deprive it of its freedom. The report concluded that Russia’s strategic approach not only failed in Ukraine but also complicated its relations with most of the states on its western borders, making its plan to keep Ukraine or any eastern European nation in its sphere of influence nearly impossible. The document urges a diplomatic settlement to the war while noting that this is problematic in light of Moscow’s unwillingness to yield and Kyiv’s desire to withdraw Russian forces from all of its areas unconditionally.