He isn't saying that a woman would not have started the war. So either he claims any woman leader would be so incompetent that Russia would lose the war, or so competent that she would win the war faster (which would according to him be a good thing).
The idea that the gender of the current leader has anything to do with the reason wars occur is so childish. It’s unreal hearing it from grown adults
Identity Politics + Great Person of History + surface level understanding of feminism = this bullshit