We knew Russia would take Kyiv in a weekend. Then we knew they would do it within a week. Then we knew that despite their initial setbacks they would achieve their goals in a month. Then we knew that their goal wasn't to topple the Ukrainian government at all, and they would achieve everything else in a few months. Then we knew that they would take full control of the eastern regions in under six months.

Now eight months later they are down to barely holding on to some fringe regions despite mobilizing the entire country, and Ukraine is taking back control of major cities daily. So I question what we all "know".

There is precedent for nuclear powers losing wars in the sense of them having to withdrawal from quagmires without accomplishing their initial objectives.

It's really strange how a certain contrarian viewpoint about Russia's invasion has developed which just totally ignores everything from the Soviet Union in Afghanistan and America in Vietnam all the way up to America in Afghanistan.

There's a lot of precedent.

At this point, Russia can't win, they can only choose how badly they want to lose.