Western analysts took basic metrics (such as numbers and types of tanks and aircraft), imagined those measured forces executing Russian military doctrine, then concluded that the Ukrainians had no chance. Weve been saying for quite some time that we believe its important for President Xi and PRC officials to avail themselves of the Ukrainian perspective on this illegal and unprovoked invasion by Russia," John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, told reporters. In Syria, where Russia intervened in 2015 using devastating airstrikes and limited ground troops to protect President Bashar al-Assad, Russias advancements showed it could effectively deploy precision-guided weaponry, long an edge that Western armed forces had held over Russia. France "encourages all dialogue that contributes to a resolution of the conflict [in Ukraine] in accordance with the fundamental interests of Ukraine and international law," the Elysee Palace said Wednesday, following a call between the Ukrainian and Chinese presidents. If the Chinese tried an amphibious landing on Taiwan, for instance, they would be undertaking maybe the most complex wartime operation, and one that their military has never attempted before. There is a limited career path for long-term soldiers. Unprepared for long war, US Army under gun to make more ammo China hasclaimed neutralityin the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, with Beijing calling for peace in the conflict. Communications were so bad that some officers had to use their personal cellphones. Cavoli also said Russias ground force today is larger "than it was at the beginning of the conflict," despite suffering numerous losses in its war against Ukraine. He regularly writes about military small arms, and is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on Amazon.com. A week into the conflict, however, the Russian military has been performing abysmally. (REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko). Indeed, a nuclear-armed military. The CSTO charter reaffirmed the desire of all participating states to abstain from the use or threat of force. In the Donbas region and in Syria, the Russian military found itself with contained conflicts against enemies who could not effectively strike back.