More than a year since Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, the Russian army continues to suffer massive losses. Some estimates say Putin’s military has lost as many as 70,000 soldiers in the conflict, and it is struggling to replace the nearly 2,000 tanks it has lost in the war to date.

The support Ukraine is receiving from the U.S. and other NATO countries is making a difference, according to Straight Arrow News contributor Newt Gingrich. He says that defeating the Russians in Ukraine will not only cripple Putin but also send a strong message to China that it can’t take on the West.

The Russians have literally gone through the prisons and given prisoners release if they join the military. The fact is, the Russians are even now talking to the Chinese about buying equipment from China because they’re running out of equipment. At the same time, the Western allies — Germany, Poland, Romania, Finland, Sweden — are all supplying more and more equipment directly to the Ukrainians; the Americans are supplying more equipment to the Ukrainians. 

It’s conceivable that the Russians are gradually going to be driven out. The Ukrainians can’t afford an attrition war of losing one Ukrainian for one Russian. But given the better equipment they’re being given, given the superiority of Western equipment, there may be a qualitative advantage that literally will allow the Ukrainians to force the Russians out. 

It’s already clear if you look at a map. Russia at its peak had occupied 27% of Ukraine. Now that’s down to 18% and I think it’s continuing to shrink. So…pay attention. This is a vital conflict. If Putin does win, the threat to Poland, to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania to Romania, will become horrendous, and the threat to NATO will be terrible.

On the other hand, if the Russians are defeated, the signal that it sends to the Chinese, the Iranians and others–that you cannot take on the West–will be very important in creating a safer and more stable world.