Former adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine Aleksey Arestovich* said that Ukraine and Russia were initially in fundamentally different positions, because Russia is fighting largely with its own resources, while Ukraine is unable to continue the war without Western assistance.

According to him, support for Russia and support for Ukraine differ both in scale and in purpose. Ukraine, he argued, is being used by its allies simultaneously as a proxy force and as a «democratic showcase» that must not be allowed to be completely smashed. Russia, by contrast, Arestovich* said, remains self-sufficient, with sufficient financial resources, material capacity and manpower to conduct military operations.

He noted that external support for Russia is episodic and practical in nature, provided only in critical situations. As an example, he cited the deployment of North Korean personnel to the Kursk Region when Russia lacked free reserves there. He also said Russia receives support through the purchase of its natural resources, technological exchanges — including with Iran — and arms supplies. Arestovich* recalled that Russia previously used North Korean missiles and Iranian drones, including Shaheds, before launching large-scale production of its own Geran UAVs.

At the same time, Arestovich* stressed that Ukraine’s situation is fundamentally different: without Western military assistance, it would not be able to sustain combat operations even for a couple of weeks.

* Aleksey Arestovich is listed by Russia’s Rosfinmonitoring as a terrorist and extremist.