Key Points and Summary – NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte declared that Vladimir Putin is “running out of money, troops and ideas,” marking a significant shift in allied sentiment.
-Speaking in London, Rutte said Russia’s “delusional aggression” has forced it to resort to “desperate measures,” including, according to Ukrainian intelligence, deploying special units of soldiers infected with HIV and hepatitis to the front line in Pokrovsk.
President Putin of Russia in 2018.
-This assessment comes as the “Coalition of the Willing” announced a new five-point plan to ramp up sanctions, force reparations, and increase military pressure, with Rutte noting new U.S. sanctions will “starve” Putin of revenue.
The Ukraine War is No Victory for Putin
Last Friday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and other leaders of the Coalition of the Willing, as it is known, in London.
The official purpose was to discuss measures to provide military, economic, and other assistance to Ukraine in its war against Russia.
In remarks released by NATO, Rutte said the discussions had been focused on strengthening collective support for Ukraine and coordinating with recent diplomatic and economic measures.
“We have just concluded a very productive meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, and I welcome the initiative Allies are showing to strengthen our support to Ukraine even further,” Rutte said.
But what could also be said is that the alliance has turned a corner on the question of whether Russia can sustain its effort in Ukraine indefinitely.
In the past, there have been plenty of “doom and gloom” stories that Russia has endless resources, manpower, defense industrial capacity, etc., and that no matter how long the war stretches on, they can still maintain an offensive push in Ukraine and outlast the collective efforts of the Allies.
But the NATO Secretary General now appears to be of the mind that the Russian military machine has reached its zenith some time ago and that Moscow’s effort only goes downhill from here.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is “running out of money, troops and ideas,” Rutte said on Friday, as he and Starmer and others held a series of talks on the conflict.
Putin with a Rifle. Image Credit: Russian State Media.
Putin Running on Empty in Ukraine War
Rutte said the Russian president’s “delusional aggression” had caused him to funnel vast amounts of money and troops into his war on Ukraine with limited success, leaving him with few ideas on how to win.
“The developments on the battlefield show that our support for Ukraine is working, and we must continue in the same way,” added Mr. Rutte.
One clear sign that the Russian military and political leadership are now resorting to desperate measures has been the increasing use of soldiers suffering from serious – even life-threatening – diseases on the battlefield.
Last month saw increasing reports that Putin’s military has formed up units composed of soldiers infected with HIV, hepatitis, TB, and other diseases and has sent them into battle, according to Ukrainian military experts reporting from the field.
Soldiers in these units are seen wearing armbands that identify them as being ill with these serious diseases.
They have been increasingly spotted on the frontlines around Pokrovsk.
This city is a key logistical hub in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, and it has been the center of a months-long and bloody assault by the Kremlin, say military observers who have spoken to Western media.
“There is currently information that these units are participating in fighting in what is currently the hottest spot – Pokrovsk,” said Dmytro Zhmailo to London’s Daily Telegraph. Zhmailo is the executive director of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre (USCC), a Ukrainian think-tank that has close relations with Ukraine’s military.
“If this is what Moscow feels compelled to do to sustain its operational tempo this is a military that is literally and figuratively ‘running on empty’,” said a Washington, DC-based long-time expert in Russian military affairs. “Russian has always had these clever military thinkers who write prolifically about the conduct of modern warfare and their theories on how they would prosecute any conflict. But they are proving once again that Russians are better at thinking, writing and talking about war than they are at doing it.”
Putin Will Feel More Pain over Ukraine War
At a press conference at the conclusion of these discussions, Starmer outlined the highlights of a five-point plan for the Coalition of the Willing’s support for Kyiv.
The UK Prime Minister identified these as: the coalition would ramp up sanctions on Russia, force Russia to pay reparations, keep up air defense support for Ukraine, increase the military pressure on Moscow, and draw up plans for security guarantees after the war.
He also commended the imposition of the latest oil and gas sanctions by the West and assured that Russian energy would be taken “off the market”.
Starmer stood alongside Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, who declared a Christmas deadline for drawing up a program of actions to require Russia to pay reparations for its illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, used the occasion to thank the UK for its military support and implored the coalition to keep up pressure on Putin.
“The fewer assaults [Putin] can carry out on the front line, the faster he will agree to diplomacy,” Mr. Zelensky said. “There must be no option for Russia except to end the war.” The new sanctions imposed by the US this week are a “big step” towards crippling the Russian war machine.
Rutte noted that these discussions followed his visit to Washington, where he met with US President Donald Trump.
Rutte outlined the latest US sanctions against Russia’s oil sector and stated they “will starve them of revenue and significantly increase the pressure on Putin to come to the negotiating table.”
Rutte described the overall situation on the battlefield as becoming progressively more costly for Russia.
“Putin is gaining little new ground…and where there are marginal gains they are coming at a huge price.” He also stated that “Ukraine continues defending itself bravely and our support to them is working.”
About the Author: Reuben F. Johnson
Reuben F. Johnson has thirty-six years of experience analyzing and reporting on foreign weapons systems, defense technologies, and international arms export policy. Johnson is the Director of the Asia Research Centre at the Casimir Pulaski Foundation. He is also a survivor of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He worked for years in the American defense industry as a foreign technology analyst and later as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense, the Departments of the Navy and Air Force, and the governments of the United Kingdom and Australia. In 2022-2023, he won two awards in a row for his defense reporting. He holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and a master’s degree from Miami University in Ohio, specializing in Soviet and Russian studies. He lives in Warsaw.
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Swamplaw Yankee
October 28, 2025 at 3:57 pm
Well, peer readers; What r we missing?
Sollenberger and Rozell clearly showed how the POTUS Obama Democrat Cabal used many vile techniques to disguise their uninhibited marxist needs to disguise their unilateral actions while making Obama and his Cabal seem open and accountable. Very old Data. Virtually the same as FDR + Truman used to stuff the admin back them with Kremlin ruuzzkie reds, agents and lovers ready to ruuzz-shill for billions of FREE US tax paid land-lease aid till the year after Stalin died. Anyone ever see the very complete list of the FREE billions that Truman sent over. Yeah; billions sent to the ruuzzkies way, way after May 10, 1945.
Yeah, so S+R show how Obama fuzzed the White House visitor log so his FSB lovers could enter the WH + consult on what betrayals nobody will ever know. And, much more of his techniques to enthrall the POTUS Obama fan base.
The assumption in 2025 in the MSM is that there was zero “LONG GAME” planning in this stuff by the PRC CCP regime. Nope, not those types that do not look remotely “ruuzzkie”.
The LONG GAME was approved by the PRC CCP way back. The 2014 move by POTUS Obama covertly, unilaterally to green light the betrayal of NATO by the geopolitical loss of Ukraine’s Crimean ancient soil, Families and Black/Azov Sea jurisdictional zones to the prime vile Cold War enemy of the WEST, Kremlin ruuzzkie Putin was coordinated.
As Obama Democrat apparatchniks joyfully betrayed old NATO doctrine in 2014, the Kremlin cash laid out to pre-plan from 2010 to 2014 was extensive. Vast networks of well-paid “ruuzzkie” speakers were paid, placed to “ignite” at the exact second that Obama needed to succeed in his Benedict Arnold skit.
That the 2025 brains all whine that their calculators reveal it all, well, where does the covert funding of the PRC CCP LONG GAME come in? No matter what deficits Putin runs, the CCP covers it all. The PRC CCP needs control of the Arctic militarily and vassal Putin has it in hand.
Putin gives PRC land in Putin’s ruuzzkie FAR EAST that the CCP wants, as long as the PRC CCP bankrolls his genetic need to extirpate Ukrainians in his 1000 year old Genocide of Ukrainians. Throw in a half million north Korean serf slaves and the EU can blab to the Yankee MSM 24/7. Both sides win as the Yankee snores away.
One can already smell the fear in mainland USA. Patriot Americans suddenly gleam the 2014 POTUS Obama Democrat betrayal of NATO and the WEST. 12-13 years too late.
The Patriots recall 1939-42 when POTUS FDR held patriots at gun point. FDR offered millions of cowards a cowards neutrality shield which they grabbed onto and voted for as much as they could. WW2 raged on as FDR blatantly, viciously pushed Canadian/ Newfoundland kids to die for his tens of millions of rich pampered cowards. The fear of the Yankee to face Kremlin ruuzzzkie bred butchers face on just froze these silver spoon millions.
Same scam as FDR used is used by 2025 MAGA POTUS Trump. Offer the lives of strong willed Ukrainian Fathers as a substitute for tens of millions of Cowards and the cowards will support Trump shield of Cowards with every vote needed.
Anytime some ruuzzkie whispered a redline as they lowered their pants, the US agencies all collapsed in coordinated fear.
Trump knows that the tens of millions of cowards all clearly smell the fear from cowards and will retreat from helping Ukraine. Hey, General Heelspur once ruled the scene, an urban legend murmurs. Birds of a feather flock together.
The EU has its cowards as well. Speak to the yud in the British Isles, spain, portugal. Ukraine and Mars are next to each other. No 5% GNP funds for NATO at those dating sites.
4 years for the WEST to awaken: yuk, yuk. The HAN PRC CCP elite has noted that. The PRC/ axis of evil have billions of well booted men ready to goose step over the tens of millions of shield of Trump Cowards. Pacific or Arctic Oceans anyone?