PEACE MAY STOP RUSSIA’S DECLINE—BUT IT WILL NOT MAGICALLY PRODUCE “GREATNESS”
President Trump said it is in Russia’s interest to end the war, presenting Moscow with two alternatives: one “very bad” and another that could lead Russia toward “greatness.”
But ending the invasion would only begin Russia’s reckoning.
Russia would still face international demands for compensation for the destruction inflicted on Ukraine. It would have to reintegrate an enormous population of returning soldiers—including many living with serious physical injuries and psychological trauma—and convert an economy increasingly shaped by military production back toward civilian life.
That transition would be neither quick nor painless. Factories, employment, government spending and entire industries have been reorganized around sustaining the war. Economic growth has already slowed amid labor shortages, inflationary pressure, high interest rates and declining energy revenue.
When asked about granting Ukraine a license to produce Patriot interceptors, Trump replied: “We will talk about it now. Ukrainians are very capable people.”
That discussion matters. Domestic Patriot production would not solve Ukraine’s shortages overnight, but it could strengthen Ukraine’s long-term air defenses and reduce its dependence on irregular foreign deliveries.
Russia has a choice between continuing down a path of greater destruction or ending the war and beginning the difficult process of recovery. But recovery is not the same as greatness—and peace will not erase responsibility for the war.