Russia will need up to 30 years to rebuild its economic and military power after its war in Ukraine, Western officials say

Russian President Vladimir Putin has crippled the country’s economy and military to the point that it could take up to 30 years for the country to regain superpower status, Western officials say.

More than 100,000 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine, with Russia spending a quarter of its annual budget on the conflict.

Kiev destroyed half of Russia’s tanks, while Moscow quickly exhausted its supply of shells, rockets and ammunition. A senior British government source told the Times that it could take between 20 and 30 years for Russia to regain its economic and military strength.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the US this week, saying the money given to the country by Western countries was an “investment” and called on allies to pledge more military support to fend off the Russian threat . “Your money is not charity. It is an investment in global security and democracy,” he said.

President Biden has agreed to provide Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems that will allow Kiev to shoot down ballistic and cruise missiles.

He refused to approve the donation of Atacms, a surface-to-surface missile system that can hit targets up to 300 kilometers away. He also pointed out that NATO allies were not comfortable giving Ukraine an offensive weapon that could hit Russian territory.

Ukrainian forces believe Putin may respond to complications in the east and south by attacking Kiev around the anniversary of the February invasion.

Putin traveled to Minsk earlier this week to meet with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. There are fears that Russia could use trains to quickly transfer troops to Belarus in preparation for another attack on Kiev.

Pictured: A destroyed Russian tank and armored personnel carriers on the outskirts of Izyum, Kharkov region, eastern Ukraine on September 14, 2022

“Our expectation is that they will announce military exercises again in January as a pretext to significantly increase the number of Russian troops and military equipment in Belarus,” a Ukrainian defense source told The Times. But Lukashenko makes a big mistake. By allowing Russian troops into his territory, he threatens himself even more than Ukraine.”

Zelensky received a standing ovation from members of Congress during his triumphant visit this week when he scooped a big prize in the form of Biden’s $2 billion Patriot Scheme.

The US has previously sent Patriot batteries to NATO allies such as Poland to bolster their defenses and other weapons systems to Ukraine to counter the Russian invasion.

In recent years, the US has sent Patriot missiles to Saudi Arabia and Iraq to counter the Iranian threat, and to the Pacific to deter North Korea.

Overall, more than a dozen US allies, including Germany, Japan and Israel, have also bought the system.

Pictured: Bodies of Russian soldiers lie on the ground in the recently recaptured town of Lyman, Ukraine, Monday, October 3, 2022

The US has sent defensive medium-range national advanced surface-to-air missile systems to Ukraine in recent months.

It has shipped about a third of its stockpile of Javelin anti-tank missiles and a third of its stockpile of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, the Financial Times reports.

Before the Russian invasion and after the outbreak of war in February, the US State Department notes that the US approved third-party transfers from 14 NATO allies and close partners to provide US-related equipment from its stockpile for use by Ukrainian forces.

Deliveries to date include nearly 12,000 anti-tank systems of all types; more than 1,550 anti-aircraft missiles; radars; night vision goggles; machine guns; weapons and ammunition; and body armor.

Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN that the US was “very focused” on providing Ukraine with air defense systems.

“We are now very focused on air defense systems and not only us, but many other countries,” Blinken said at the time.

Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers fire a Pion artillery system at Russian positions near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, December 16, 2022.

“We are working to make sure that Ukrainians get these systems as quickly as possible, but also as effectively as possible, that they are trained on how to maintain them and that everything has to fit together, and that’s it.

“We have a very thoughtful process, created by Defense Minister Lloyd Austin in Ramstein, Germany, that meets regularly to ensure that Ukrainians get what they need, when they need it.”

On Tuesday, Ukraine’s president visited the eastern frontline town of Bakhmut, now the epicenter of fighting in Russia’s nearly 10-month-long invasion of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy met with military officials and presented awards to Ukrainian soldiers who held off a bitter month-long Russian campaign for the city.