Several Daily Kos writers have been sounding the alarm this over the past couple weeks: Russia is on the verge of economic collapse, and the Western world—if it acts smartly—has a rare chance to end both the war and Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian rule. Yet instead of seizing this moment, Donald Trump continues to fawn over Putin, dragging out the conflict and propping up a dying regime.
Let’s give credit where it’s due—this community (Daily Kos authors) is doing the heavy lifting the rest of the media ignores. Here’s what Kos writers are uncovering—and what it means.
What Daily Kos Writers Are Reporting
“Russian stuff blowing up” by quaoar” reveals how Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, is imploding—crippled by unpaid workers, ballooning debt, and failing infrastructure. A critical leg of Russia’s military-industrial power is collapsing.
In “Russian Economic Collapse is now on the radar”, justin423 details how Ukraine’s drone strikes are targeting refining infrastructure, not just fuel tanks—disabling Russia’s ability to produce and move fuel, especially in the population-dense west.
This report from MSN adds confirmation: Russia’s economy is only functioning because of wartime spending and oil revenue. Inflation is spiking, productivity is falling, and long-term stability is vanishing.
Even the Drudge Report is now asking: “Is The Don being blackmailed by Putin?” I’m not a fan of Drudge, but he has been on the forefront of exposing some real scandals.
Ukraine Can Win—But the Media Barely Notices
In another recent Kos article, “Ukraine Can Win” today, contributors lay out Ukraine’s realistic and growing pathway to victory.
New weapons like the Flamingo cruise missile are striking deep into Russian territory. Drone attacks are disrupting logistics, fuel production, and transportation. Russian morale is crumbling—and Ukraine is leveraging every tool with strategic precision.
Yet, if you flip on the news or scroll through your feed, you wouldn’t know it.
Trump Could Be Dominating—But Chooses to Kneel
This could be Trump’s moment to reclaim his image. He could:
Call out Putin for rejecting diplomacy and slaughtering civilians
Take credit for finishing a war he claims he could end in “24 hours”
Lead a renewed NATO effort and enforce sanctions that would collapse Russia’s economy in weeks
Instead, Trump:
Praised Putin as a “genius” when the war began
Claimed he’d end the war by strong-arming Ukraine, not Russia
Threatened to pull out of NATO
Pushed House Republicans to stall Ukraine aid
These aren’t moves of strength. These are the choices of a lapdog.
The Media Is Missing the Real Story
And here’s the other big problem: the mainstream media, and even much of the alternative press, is almost entirely missing this story.
Where’s the urgency on CNN, ABC, or MSNBC about Russia’s spiraling economy? Where are the Sunday show segments on Ukraine’s growing advantage?
Instead, we get shallow takes about Trump’s “tone,” “discipline,” and sane-washing sound bites, as if his meeting with Putin in Alaska was anything more than a vanity photo-op that gave the Russian dictator a PR boost and nothing else.
There’s little discussion about what it would mean if Ukraine actually wins, or what Trump’s strange and unwavering support of Putin truly signals.
Only a few outlets, like Daily Kos, are consistently connecting the dots.
If Putin Has Kompromat…
Let’s say it out loud: if there’s kompromat on Trump, it has to be worse than the alleged “pee tape.” After all, Trump has already weathered scandals that would have ended any other politician.
So if he’s still this obedient to Putin—it must be something darker. And whether it’s blackmail, admiration, or just strategic cowardice, it’s disqualifying.
Don’t Let This Window Close
Thanks to Kos contributors and its community of engaged readers, we can already see the cracks, not just in Russia, but in the media’s failure to act as watchdogs.
This moment is historic.
Ukraine has a path to victory.
Russia is burning its own economy to sustain a war that appears to be a stalemate at this point, and might be losing.
Trump handed Putin a platform instead of putting him in check.
And the world is watching.
If Trump really wanted to be the “alpha dog,” he’d crush Putin. Instead, he heels link Putin’s little “lapdog”.