Yes but what about the remaining 15 million or so?
Is your source taking
Crimea into account?
Donbass regions into account?
Or the ones that fled to Europe or Russia into account?
All I am telling you is that 40 million can't remain 40 million between pre-war and current war populations.
No matter how you look at Russia has a 143-146 million population. 2022 all the way to 2026 the dead body exchange rates always favored Russia even when Ukraine was advancing.
If Russia gets everything east of the Dnieper River and they build a land connection from the south all the way to Transnistria the US might no longer see a point to even keep a military presence in Europe.
This is what would happen if Russia got everything east of the Dnieper River and built a land connection from the south to Transnistria.
1. NATO/EU will try to get what remains of Ukraine and Moldova. Ukraine with small territory after the war and Moldova would be as useless as Georgia in the Russo-Georgia war lasting only week. The 2 countries are too useless to be used as a proxy war against Russia which would make them a very easy annexation for Russia which is against NATO/EU interests.
2. Another reason Ukraine would never be used again for a proxy war is because Russia taking half of the 2nd biggest country in Europe will drastically boost their population while Ukraine's population will remain small in a smaller country and by the time they recover and get military funded for another proxy war they would have the smallest population with the smallest airspace in a war with a drastically larger Russia. Because NATO/EU are not clinically retarded, they will slowly try to acquire what's left of Moldova and Ukraine.
3. Just because Moldova is pro-west does not mean that their opinions can also suddenly flip. A land connection to Russia might make them open to business and economic relations to Russia as being more beneficial because Russia is next to Transnistria and Transnistria is next to Moldova. Maybe fuel gas line projects and other deals can happen.
4. Once Moldova and what's left of Ukraine become a part of NATO, Russia will be absolutely happy since their doctrine is that any NATO attack on their country will receive a nuclear response. So, in the not-too-distant future we will see 200 million+ Russian population no longer worry about having a big military presence that is focused on the west, but they will focus most, if not all of their military presence to the south of the middle east and Africa with an even bigger population/economy then before
I would keep personally watching deals between the US and Russia/China that involve the Bering Strait.