... it is obvious there will be no peace in the region unless the Kremlin controls all of Ukraine.My take of what the US position is, is that if Russia persists, if Russia prevails in Ukraine, then the US will escalate. The more Russia "wins," the more the US fights. If Russia takes Ukraine, there will be less peace, not more.
The Russians are going to leave a dried-up husk for the Euroweenies to take care of - filled with weapons scattered across the landscape.
At least unti after the mid term elections. The cranking up the ‘remember the Maine’ sort of bloody shirt waving has not been seen since 1917. Surely the administration must in part be hoping the Ukraine can provide distraction from explosive inflation and fuel prices and mute the losses in November. If the Dems can keep control of one house their short term goals will be achieved. While the expansion of NATO will go on Washington may shift towards substantive negotiations in the Ukraine and push for at least a limited ceasefire. The big question is how much the war will escalate during the May to September campaigning season. A real deterioration in Kiev’s position in the Donbass and heavy air and missile strikes is going to make an attempt at some sort of no fly zone difficult for Washington to avoid. The pattern in wars is towards escalating upwards until finding some equilibrium, but at a much higher level.