Putin and Trump: How Putin Scored Two Subtle Wins
This post explains how Putin and Trump produced a political dynamic in which Vladimir Putin secured two notable strategic wins : sustaining a prolonged offensive in war and scoring an image boost without signing a formal deal . The analysis weaves expert research, recent reporting, and practical context so readers (and search engines) understand both the facts and the nuance. Council on Foreign Relations TIME Putin’s first win — a prolonged offensive in war Putin’s operational advantage here wasn’t a sudden battlefield breakthrough but the ability to keep a military campaign going over time , absorbing sanctions and diplomatic pressure while maintaining strategic leverage. In my experience reading conflict studies and economic analyses, prolonged campaigns can erode opponents’ political will as much as they change front lines—time becomes a tool of war. Reporting and policy analysis show Russia continued major offensive operations even as Western sanctions and pres...