@Bobko
Why are China and the US trying to suffocate each other by cutting off rare earths?
Because they actually use them to create stuff. They dont compete for rare minerals in order to sell them, but to use them for the production of highly sophisticated electronics. While Russia is little more than a big gas station.
The military industry will be domestically focused
Precisely. As is most of its' industry because Russia is no longer able to produce products that are competetive at the world market.
They have been given more money, than they saw between
Indeed. Russia is burning up everything it was and could have been in order to keep the war going. Its' stockpiles from the Soviet Union. More and more of its budget. Money that should have gone into its' infrastructure or scientific development. All gone. Putin is currently throwing the lifes of thousands of Russians away per week just to capture a few more square kilometers. He depopulates a Russian village to capture a destroyed Ukrainian village.
I dont't think you understand how bad this actually is for Russia development? The Russian Army does not pay for the products they buy. The Russian state does. Which gets its' money from the Russian people. Producing a rocket, then selling it to Russian army who fires it at an Ukrainian hospital is not going to make Russia wealthier. All Putin is doing is subsidizing the arms industry at the expense of the Russian population.
How's that for reputation?
Nobody is ever truly prepared for war. That being said, at least we know now that our weapons can intercept Russian missiles, while Russian systems are unable to intercept Himars and our tanks are less likely to launch our crews into orbit. We can work with that.
