> The nice thing is that the west has many voices to work these things out.

Work what out? Why are you talking about 'the west' when the article is about the US?

> Suppressing speech in authoritarian countries makes their leaders blind.

Most of 'the west' bans speech. Did we forget that russian media got banned in most of 'the west' and you can even go to jail in much of 'the west' for questioning historical events?

> Putin really believed he could defeat Ukraine in 2 weeks.

What does this article have to do with putin?

> Xi really believed his economy would roar back after unwelding citizens from their apartments.

What does this have to do with apartments?

Man you must be real important person to know what Putin and Xi really thinks. Or are you being paid to push a certain message online?

What a poor attempt considering there is a lot of evidence to the contrary and then suggesting OP is being paid to push a certain message online.

You gave yourself away....

> Putin really believed he could defeat Ukraine in 2 weeks

What makes you say that?

All of his approved media soundbites in the lead up.

Wouldn't those just be lies he knowingly told to raise morale?

Eating your own dog food is a thing.

Because if the current situation was his plan, I can't imagine what his end game is? Destroy his country and people? Become a vassal of China?

He was expecting Ukraine to welcome him with open arms, the man is delusional and has done more to destroy his countries future than any Russian leader in the last 800 years.

There is the fact that his own agencies (FSB) told him that Ukraine would fall in 3 days and it almost did but through courage and effort they held on. 925 days and they have fought Russia to a standstill. Pretty amazing considering their size and readiness, they destroyed the 2nd army of the world and the future of Russia.

Ukraine had the largest, most well-equipped and best trained military in Europe at the beginning of 2022. The current situation is an all-out proxy war between Russia and NATO states. Most of NATO's military production and intelligence efforts go towards Ukraine.

Ukraine cannot in any way be compared to some poorly equipped Vietnam of the 1970s.

People were not welded into apartments in China. The economy is not growing as strongly as it was a few years ago, but it's still growing at a 5% yearly pace, which is way faster than developed economies grow.