 A month after the initial invasion of Ukraine by Russia, we have seen a lot change on the global scene. Gas prices have risen dramatically across the world as the West sanctions Russian gas companies as well as other sectors of the Russian economy, yet these sanctions are going to affect the world in ways that we're not likely intended. In Ukraine itself, despite being pitted against a country with military capabilities dwarfed by its own, Russia has made minimal progress at best at penetrating the defense lines of Ukraine and has even had to adjust its military goals in the country due to this horrific performance. Countries in Russia's neighborhood are also becoming wary at the specter of invasion, and some countries closely economically linked to Russia are taking a stand against its actions in Ukraine. I will cover 5 different but related topics in this report to help visualize the global impact of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Number 1. Russia has lost the battle of Kiev. Despite it being over a month since the initial invasion, Russia has made pathetic progress in their goal of supposedly liberating Ukraine. Logistically, Russia's advantage over Ukraine is immense. Russia surrounds the country on three sides, with Allied Belarus in the north, its own sovereign territory in the east, and the occupied territory of Crimea in the south. Though they have invaded from all three locations, Russia has been unsuccessful in establishing a straight front line and surrounding Ukrainian forces in the center and east of the country, and is still bogged down by Ukrainian resistance on all three fronts. Ukraine's two largest cities, Kiev and Kharkiv, despite having received shellings and land attacks, still remain firmly under Ukrainian control. On April 2nd, Russian troops withdrew from the capital city of Kiev, after more than a month of fighting, proving a failed capture of the city. Yet there is significant evidence to suggest that Russian troops committed war crimes against Ukrainian civilians on their way out, especially in the city of Bucha, where nearly 300 as of most recent counts have been presumed executed. It worries me when countries are in as desperate shape as Russia, since morality and reason often no longer apply in their actions. The Russian troops that were stationed around Kiev are thought to be moving towards the east of the country, where Russia has shifted their focus as well, something I will discuss later. The strategist in me predicted that these cities would fall quickly since Russia would put most of their energy here to destabilize Ukraine's institutions, but it is clear that these cities have prevailed, at least for now. Russia's most successful advances have been in the southeast of Ukraine, nearly exclusively south of Dnieper River. Despite this, the city of Mariupol still has Ukrainian forces fighting, though for how long they will keep fighting here I cannot say. Russia has also suffered great military casualties due to the invasion, probably much more than expected by the Russian government. Though the official counts from Russia claim around 1,350 soldiers have been killed, NATO has claimed that anywhere from 7,500 to 15,000 Russian soldiers have lost their lives in the invasion. Ukraine's government claims that around 1,300 of their armed forces have been killed since the start of the invasion, in contrast to the US estimate of 2,000 to 4,000, and Russia's so-called estimate of 14,000. Ukraine also estimates that over 4,000 civilians have been killed, while the UN believes this number to be just over 1,000. We can see that these numbers are heavily affected by the politics of the nation or group making these claims, so I will let you decide what seems most plausible. However, what is clear is that Russia's advances are a major disappointment for a country that should have been easily able to take on a country like Ukraine. I have stated that Russia is a nation in decline in many of my past videos, and these recent events continue to add to this narrative. Number 2. Will Moldova get invaded? It's possible, but not likely anymore. On the 24th of February, Moldova declared a state of emergency in the country due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With the pro-Russia breakaway region of Transnistria located along its border with Ukraine and the destabilization that comes along with taking in over 300,000 refugees, Moldova has a right to be worried about potential invasion by Russia. Things surrounded on Ukraine on three sides, and making a profound shift to favor western policies since 2020. If Ukraine fell to Russian control, Moldova would almost certainly be the next target. Though this small nation of 2.9 million people sits in quite a precarious situation, its fear of invasion should be slightly alleviated due to how pathetic Russia's performance has been in Ukraine. Russia has not been able to connect Transnistria to the rest of its armed forces, and to do this they would have to occupy the near entirety of Mikhailov and Odessa Oblasts, locations under firm Ukrainian control. Russia's current situation in Ukraine prohibits them from being able to make any other military campaigns since they are making such slow progress at such high cost. Though there is still a possibility of an invasion of Moldova by Russia, I would say that chances are decreasing by the day, especially after the tactical defeat in Kiev. Russia has officially changed its goals in Ukraine. Though Russia's initial goal was to denazify the country of Ukraine in their invasion, it appears as if the country has a new emphasis of their special military operation. This emphasis is to liberate the pro-Russian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east of Ukraine. Though this can be taken a few different ways, I believe that Russia is beginning to understand that their poor military performance in the invasion of Ukraine will likely cost them nearly the entire country, as holding the whole of Ukraine down is just invisible at this point. Seeing Russia change its emphasis to just these regions in the east shows the true nature of Russia's military potential, which is much less than expected. This change in emphasis could also open up the potential for peace talks or ceasefire, as Ukraine may be willing to give up Donetsk and Luhansk, heavily pro-Russian regions, to Russia for its own sovereignty. Uzbekistan comes out in support of Ukrainian territorial integrity. On March 17th, Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan, Abdul Aziz Komilov, made a statement regarding this situation in Russia and Ukraine, calling for a peaceful solution, while making it clear that Uzbekistan regarded the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and did not recognize the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Seeing the sanctions against Russia, Uzbekistan may be trying to create its own path away from Russia so that Russia's political actions will not take as large of a toll on the Uzbek economy as it would otherwise. Uzbekistan isn't the only Central Asian nation to break line with Russia as a result of this war either. Despite having been almost rescued by the Russian military in January, Kazakhstan stated that it will not send troops to fight in Ukraine. Countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and other former Soviet republics are seeing an influx of anti-war Russians into their country, as they fear being drafted or persecuted for their beliefs on the war in their native country. Migrant workers from Central Asia are also making their way back to their homelands due to the war. Number 5. Western sanctions will most negatively affect the third world. In usual fashion, the West will disregard the needs of the parts of the world that are in the worst shape. I'm not saying that the West should not be taking a stand against Russia. I think in many ways sanctions are the only way to achieve this stand without getting embroiled in unnecessary conflict, but some of these sanctions will inevitably affect third world countries which heavily rely on agriculture to survive. Potash, a type of fertilizer produced in Russia and Belarus, has been sanctioned by the EU, and this is likely to drive up food prices globally as fertilizer is needed for soils to produce food. Countries like India will be majorly affected by this, as 41% of the country's population is employed in agriculture, and if crop yields are sharply reduced due to the lack of fertilizer, the country could be in dire shape. This is just one example, but these types of sanctions will ultimately damage some of the world's poorer countries' economies due to their reliance on these goods. A lot has been happening recently in the Russo-Ukrainian War, far more events than I can put out in a normal length video. With how rapidly events are changing, I think it is appropriate that I return to a weekly upload schedule to give all of you the best up-to-date information on the situation, so we can all understand this conflict better. Thank you for watching this exclusive MaxWorld Politics Report. Stay tuned in the following weeks as I cover the Russo-Ukrainian War and the deep complexities involved in it.