WSJ: Ukraine Has Gained An Important "Trump Card"
- 31.08.2026, 7:32
Russia has nothing of the sort.
Moscow is relying on massive strikes against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure—shopping centers, power plants, and ports—in the hope of forcing Kyiv to surrender. But, as noted by The Wall Street Journal, Ukraine has a trump card that Russia lacks: a broad coalition of allies that provides it with both economic aid and military-logistical support. It is precisely this imbalance, according to the publication, that largely neutralizes the Russian army’s numerical and firepower superiority.
Citing Western sources, the publication points to a growing wave of sabotage, cyberattacks, and other hybrid operations that Moscow is launching against Europe—as a means of exerting pressure on politicians and public opinion in Western countries.
Financially burden of the war is borne almost entirely by Russia, while its economy suffers from Ukrainian strikes and the cumulative effect of sanctions. Moscow’s key partners are going through tough times: Iran and North Korea are facing serious economic difficulties, while China, taking advantage of Russia’s precarious situation, is negotiating more favorable terms for oil and gas purchases—even as it grapples with a slowdown in its own economy.
The fuel crisis is telling: strikes by Ukrainian drones have put more than a third of Russia’s oil refining capacity out of commission. Ukraine, meanwhile, despite the destruction of its own refineries back in 2022, maintains uninterrupted operations at its gas stations thanks to fuel supplies from Europe.
In addition, the Ukrainian military relies on logistical infrastructure in Poland, Germany, and Romania, while Ukraine’s defense industries are expanding production across the continent—including a plant currently under construction in Denmark to produce fuel for ballistic missiles.
The WSJ emphasizes that, with the exception of Belarus and North Korea, none of Russia’s neighbors—including its formal CSTO allies in Central Asia—are providing it with open military support. Even Minsk has recently avoided taking drastic steps, fearing new sanctions or retaliatory measures from Kyiv.
To the Kremlin, this situation seems extremely unfair: NATO countries are effectively inflicting strategic damage on the Russian economy and defense capabilities, while paying almost nothing for it themselves. Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Center for Russia and Eurasia in Berlin, describes this as an “asymmetry of capabilities”—Russia’s ability to inflict damage on the West and force it to pay for its support of Ukraine is incomparable to the reverse process.
Moscow lacks a “shoulder to lean on”—an ally willing to strike at NATO and absorb the retaliatory blow. Iran and the Yemeni Houthis are the closest it gets, but their interests are focused on the Middle East and only partially overlap with the Kremlin’s objectives, and their actual leverage over European policy is quite limited.