00:00Today marks four years since Russia invaded Ukraine.
00:02President Trump's efforts to end the war have inched along with fighting largely at a stalemate.
00:07Peace talks poised to begin again as soon as this week.
00:10Russia holds roughly 19% of Ukrainian territory.
00:14That's according to the Institute for the Study of War.
00:16It's just 1% more than three years ago.
00:20The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates that there have been
00:231.8 million military casualties, with Russia suffering the most, at 1.2 million.
00:31Foreign aid to Ukraine has totaled nearly $450 billion,
00:34with the U.S. authorizing about $188 billion,
00:37and the EU, 380 billion euros, or about $450 billion.
00:43Military aid from the U.S. has been following, though.
00:45It's down 13% last year, as President Trump has stopped sending so many weapons paid for by the U
00:52.S.
00:52Europe increasing military aid in the meantime by two-thirds to try and make up that difference.
00:58Ukraine's GDP has recovered since a 30% decline in 2022,
01:02but the economy is still roughly 21% smaller in real terms than before this war started.
01:09Russia's GDP contracted nearly 1.5% in 2022,
01:15but rebounded with 4% growth in 2023 and 2024.
01:18That was driven by state-funded war economy, defense spending.
01:23But that massive military spending, labor shortages, and more and more sanctions leveled on Russia
01:27have led to a surge in inflation in Russia.
01:30The yield on Russia's 10-year bond is currently sitting around 14.3%,
01:36and the ruble is down 5% versus the dollar since the war began.
01:40But it was the world's top-performing currency last year.
01:44It did jump 45% last year.
01:46As for energy, since the region is a major producer of that and other commodities as well,
01:51after initial spike in prices, Brent crude and Dutch natural gas are both down sharply in the past four years,
01:58as Europe and others wean themselves off Russian supplies.
02:02And other producers, including the U.S., have stepped in to make up the difference.
02:06Thank you very much, Brent.
Commenti