Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-72.74.78.209-20141019230536/@comment-17114085-20150113114639

80.216.192.17 wrote: Ulfric is no more a puppet/asset of the Thalmor than Alduin and the other dragons, of course Thalmor are happy with the civil war and smile when dragons kill nord but that doesn't really say anything. That makes him an asset.

One definition of asset is: A useful or valuable quality, person, or thing; an advantage or resource.

Ulfric fits into that. He is a useful and valuable person to the Thalmor. He is the leader of the Stormcloaks and the head of one side of the Civil War. As long as it continues he will continue to be an asset to them, by inadvertently helping their plans by weakening the Empire and Skyrim. However of he wins then he is no longer an asset, as he will be their enemy and will build up Skyrim's military to later fight them in the next Great War. If he loses then he is no longer an asset because he will be dead and the Empire will continue to try to build up its military to fight them in the next Great War.