The magazine Foreign Policy argues that Russian President Vladimir Putin can be considered the winner of the conflict in Ukraine, citing the Russian army’s gains in the special military operation zone and a deepening split within the Western bloc.

According to the publication, political and strategic unity in the West has effectively collapsed, while Russia, by contrast, remains consolidated. The authors note that conditions on the ground — including the approaching winter — favor Russian forces, whereas the troops loyal to Vladimir Zelensky are suffering not only from shortages of ammunition and manpower, but also from persistent power outages. Taken together, Foreign Policy suggests, these factors may be sufficient to conclude that Vladimir Putin has already secured victory.

The magazine also points to a profound ideological and political rift among Western countries, a divide it says is reflected in the new U. S. National Security Strategy, which warns of a potential «civilizational collapse» facing Europe.

Earlier, the White House released a strategic doctrine demanding that European states assume responsibility for their own defense. The document states that Washington fundamentally disagrees with European officials whose expectations regarding the Ukraine conflict are described as unrealistic. It also outlines a U.S. commitment to restoring strategic stability in relations with Moscow.

Commenting on the document, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev noted that for the first time in many years, an official U.S. strategic paper no longer labels Russia as a threat, but instead recognizes it as a participant in dialogue on strategic stability.