Stop over-touting Russia, stop focusing on that narrow strip of eastern Ukraine and watching the two sides fight over that land of tens of meters.
The Russian-Ukrainian war has been going on for two years, with the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO, Armenia in the Transcaucasia has left, the five countries have begun to centrifugal, and Russia's traditional sphere of influence is experiencing a second contraction and gradually collapsing.
And all this, compared to the collapse of the Soviet Union, seems to be playing out a similar historical drama. Imagine Avdeyevka, the place that once belonged to the USSR.
On December 8, 1991, the leaders of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine signed the agreement, which announced the end of Soviet history. At that moment, the territory of Russia grew from a vast 22 million square kilometers.
It shrank dramatically to 17 million square kilometers, and a full 5 million square kilometers of land disappeared in an instant. The collapse of the Soviet Union was not only a political upheaval, but also a geographical upheaval.
From that moment on, Russia's influence was gradually waning in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. From the three Baltic states of the Atlantic, to all the countries of the Warsaw Pact, to Ukraine, Russia's sphere of influence is visibly retreating on the map.
Imagine the former Soviet influence in the Middle East, with which the Arab countries were closely linked. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, these ties collapsed in an instant, and only Syria was left holding on.
And in Asia, those former Soviet allies, such as India and Vietnam, maintained friendship with Russia before the Russian-Ukrainian war, but that close alliance no longer exists.
Looking back at history, we can't help but wonder if all this was the result of Yeltsin's policy of "looking westward". There may be factors in this regard, but more likely it is a historical necessity.
However, the Russian national spirit did not die out from this, and they are still trying to find a revival. The rhetoric of "give me twenty years, and give you back a strong Russia".
It is a true portrayal of their heart's desire for revival. Driven by such ideals, the Russian-Ukrainian war broke out, and a new geopolitical rivalry is being staged.
At one time, the Soviet Union's military power spread across the globe, leaving its firm footprint from the vast lands of the Far East to the tropical jungles of Vietnam.
But the great wheel of history always rolls relentlessly forward, and what was once glorious is now a thing of the past. When Russia launched a military operation against Ukraine, it was originally intended to regain control of the land and incorporate it into its territory.
to counter Western pressure. However, the reality is far more brutal than expected. Today, Ukraine is a sworn enemy of Russia, while Sweden and Finland in Northern Europe have joined NATO.
As a result, Russia's mouth to the Gulf of Finland was tightly sandwiched by Estonia and Finland. To make matters worse, the Baltic Fleet in Kaliningrad is surrounded by NATO countries.
From the three Baltic states to Poland, Moldova, and Ukraine, Russia's sphere of influence is constantly retreating under the pressure of Western countries.
When we look east, the situation is also not optimistic. Passing through the Black Sea and Transcaucasia, Armenia has already announced its withdrawal from the CSTO, which is undoubtedly a heavy blow to Russia.
Crossing the Caspian Sea to Central Asia, Kazakhstan is gradually moving closer to China and Europe, and the distance between the five Central Asian countries and Russia is gradually narrowing. Further east, Mongolia, a former satellite of the Soviet Union, is also dissatisfied with Russia.
All this is reminiscent of the scene when the Soviet Union collapsed. On that occasion, the Soviet sphere of influence retreated epicly from a global scale. And now, with the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
The territories that once belonged to the Soviet Union are now experiencing another disintegration and collapse. This knife in hand-to-hand combat cut not only the borders of Russia, but also Sweden and Finland.
The Russian-Ukrainian war not only cut off Russia's sphere of influence in the former Soviet republics, but also caused Russia's international prestige to plummet.
The brutality of the war has caused Russia's military strength to suffer heavy losses, hundreds of thousands of elite troops have suffered heavy losses, and the stocks of various ** ammunition have almost been exhausted.
What is even more serious is that Russia's development space and development potential have been greatly compressed, like a giant that is bleeding incessantly, not only suffering injuries to the body, but also wounds that are difficult to heal.
O those who blindly tout Russia, please stop indulging in the glory of the past. The brutal reality of the Russia-Ukraine war has clearly taught us: the world is undergoing profound changes.
The outcome of the war may be important, but what is more important is the historical trends that are hidden behind it. So, what kind of era is this? And how will it affect our future? These are all questions that deserve our deep thought.