IT WAS NOT IRRATIONAL OF VLAD TO INVEST SO MUCH IN DONALD:

The report identified two key drivers of Russia's ability to develop and deploy advanced military systems through 2030: "The impact of Western sanctions on Russia's government revenue and ability to access critical technology, and the extent of the degradation of the Russian military in Ukraine, which will force choices on the Kremlin about how to prioritize military expenditures."

While Russia has been under international sanctions since 2014--when it illegally annexed Crimea and emboldened separatist uprisings in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region--the more stringent sanctions imposed since February are "much greater, affecting a broader range of goods and a wider range of sanctioned entities" and "Russia's future military capabilities by limiting Russia's access to technology."

"Furthermore, the imposition of export controls means that Russia cannot access strategically important goods such as semiconductors or precision machine tools that are produced in third countries, including China, India, Singapore and Taiwan, when they use equipment licensed from the United States or its allies," the report said. 

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