A Russia Survey

Strategypage's post of issues regarding Russia has a number of interesting parts. Go read it.

Let me highlight some parts.

Russia is managing to keep its military modernization plan going, but at the cost of economic problems at home and the alienation of Western European states who have halted disarmament in response.

The Russian Su-57 "5th generation stealth fighter" is being dropped because it isn't working out. (I suspected this would be the case when I saw a headline elsewhere about how awesome the 6th generation Russian fighter would be. Hah!)

Russia sent better mercenaries to Syria who won't walk into a kill sack so readily.

Russia has basically annexed the Sea of Azov as Russian territory in some economic warfare against Ukraine, pretty much blockading Ukraine's ports at Berdiansk and Mariupol. That's begging for a Freedom of Navigation Operation by some Western nation, no? Or will China consider that a template for the South China Sea?

The Russians, Turks, and Iranians are starting to part ways on what to do in Syria. Syria would be happy to have Iran leave after a nice party and a hearty thank you by Assad for their help, but Iran won't go.

In related news, they say Turkey is unlikely to get F-35s delivered. But I thought we delivered one? What's up, anyway? I'm confused.