During a press briefing on April 24, 2025, after meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Russia had made a "pretty big concession" by not taking the whole of Ukraine.
"Stopping the war, stopping from taking the whole country, pretty big concession," Trump said. (Associated Press)
This claim is misleading and dangerous. It suggests that Putin "spared" Ukraine, when in reality, Russia's failure to control the entire country reflects military weakness, not restraint. The world - and even Russia - expected Ukraine to collapse in 2022.
But the "Kyiv in three days" plan failed.
Russia's "Victories": Terror, Ruins, and Retreat
In reality, Russia's offensive has been stopped,and large parts of the occupied territories have been liberated. Yet every retreat is cynically portrayed by Moscow as a "gesture of goodwill." In reality, these are nothing more than forced withdrawals.
When Russian forces fail to capture cities, they resort to another tactic - relentless attacks on civilian infrastructure. Their logic is simple: if they cannot take something, they will destroy it.
Civilians have become Russia's main targets:
Unable to retake Kherson, Russia committed an outright war crime by blowing up the Kakhovka dam. The aim was to halt Ukraine's advance and prevent the liberation of the left bank of Kherson Oblast. The explosion caused an environmental disaster, killing not only humans but also animals, flooding towns and villages. Russia spared neither people, including its own soldiers, nor nature in an attempt to hold onto at least part of the occupied territory.
From the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, the idea of "liberating Russian-speaking Ukrainians" has turned into rampant looting and violence. Stolen vacuum cleaners and kettles, raped women and children, and torture chambers in occupied areas - this is the real face of Russia's gains in Ukraine.
Moscow's Forces: Fewer Troops, Fewer Tanks, Fewer Options
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, Russia has lost approximately 950,000 troops killed or wounded since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These losses reflect the heavy price the Kremlin is paying for its aggression.
Russia's assaults have become increasingly costly and senseless. In 2024 Russia lost on average 128 soldiers for every square kilometer of land it seized. By early 2025, the toll had risen to 158--159, and today it is nearing 190--192 bodies per kilometer - a staggering price for every minor gain. (Ukrinform)
Facing a severe personnel shortage, Russia has increasingly turned to foreign mercenaries. According to Reuters, citing South Korean lawmakers and intelligence officials, about 600 North Korean troops have been killed while fighting for Russia out of a total force of 15,000. Overall, North Korea has suffered around 4,700 casualties, both killed and wounded.
The use of foreign fighters, including North Korean soldiers, in Ukraine represents a serious violation of international law and underscores Russia's desperation to achieve its military objectives at any cost.
Due to a shortage of modern equipment, Russia increasingly relies on its ageing Soviet stockpiles, which are rapidly running out. As a result, Russian assault groups are often forced to use improvised civilian vehicles, motorcycles, and even electric scooters instead of armoured vehicles.
The pace of Russian advances in Ukraine has been steadily declining since November 2024. According to the UK Ministry of Defence, Russian forces advanced only 143 km² in March 2025, compared to 730 km² in November 2024.
ISW uses geolocated data and reports slightly different figures - about 203 km² gained in March 2025, also showing a steady decline. Despite methodological differences, both sources confirm that Russia's offensive momentum has significantly slowed. (ISW)
Although Russia still holds parts of Ukraine, its inability to achieve its strategic goals - and the losses it suffers daily - speak volumes.
Putin did not stop trying to seize all of Ukraine - he simply failed. What halted Russia was not goodwill or concessions, but Ukrainian resilience and international support.
Every Russian retreat - from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, or Snake Island - was not a "gesture of goodwill" but a result of resistance and defeat.
The Russian army that once planned parades in Kyiv has been reduced to fighting on motorcycles, losing thousands of soldiers for mere meters of land, and relying on foreign recruits to fill its ranks.
Yet, Moscow continues to lie to its own citizens and the world. The rhetoric of "concessions" is nothing but propaganda designed to mask defeat and spin failure as strategy. But facts on the ground tell a very different story.
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This publication was compiled with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. It’s content is the exclusive responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the International Renaissance Foundation.
