Data from the Institute for the Study of War and AEI's Critical Threats Project shows the Russian advance and seizure of Ukrainian territory in the three years since Vladimir Putin began his three day operation to occupy Ukraine in 2022.

It was a proposal that the Kremlin could neither outright reject nor accept, intended to force it into an awkward choice, revealing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s true appetite for his brutal war of choice.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s presence at the parade gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a boost as he tries to show that he is not isolated on the global stage.