**Russia May Lose Chance for World Leadership if it Doesn’t End War**
Ukraine’s military intelligence head, Kyrylo Budanov, has warned that Russia may lose its chance to be a world leader if it doesn’t stop its full-scale war against Ukraine by 2026. He made this statement in an interview with Ukrinform on February 27.
Budanov said that according to Russia’s strategy, if they don‘t get out of the war by 2026, they will lose even a chance for world leadership and will be left with regional leadership only. This is not something that they are satisfied with, he added.
**Financial Cost of War**
The financial cost of the war is “too high” for Moscow, which prevents it from focusing on development and large-scale projects. Russia has problems with its economy but can balance it out as long as it has oil, gas, and precious metals, Budanov said.
**Technological Limitations**
There is a lack of technologies and technological solutions that are not available in Russia, primarily for the development of the Arctic region, gas production, etc. This is another challenge that Russia faces.
**Economic Sanctions**
Throughout the three years of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s Western partners have imposed heavy sanctions on Moscow to undermine its ability to wage war. Initially, Russia has largely weathered these sanctions but now faces mounting economic challenges.
**Russia’s Situation**
Budanov said that Russia likely has the economic and technical capacity to continue its war against Ukraine until 2025 or 2026. However, this situation may change if Russia continues to face economic challenges and labor shortages.
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