Putin is a predator. I am watching “The Empress” on Netflix about the Hapsburg empire and Russia wanted to expand then. Russia was a dark evil then. And it has been ever thus. Since when was Russia ever light and clean? What good has Russia ever brought to civilization? From Ivan the terrible forward. Except for Matrushka dolls and piroshki that my Russian grandmother used to make, Russian contribution to civilization involves multiple nicknames, beautiful ballet and great capacity for suffering.
Maybe we could station US troops in Russia on the Ukraine border to protect them from invasion by the Ukrainians.
The biggest hazard to Russia is not from outside. It’s the toxic robber baron culture of their elites.
To recover Russia needs a Marshal Plan. But because some local potentate with a private army can just walk in and take your stuff, that will never happen. Even if the war ended today, Russia will sink ever lower only to sell their oil to the world’s other dregs. Nobody in the West, unless they bring back Angela Merkle, will be willing to take the risk of partnering with the Oligarchs.
There is no “good guy” or “bad guy in this latest circle jerk of “The Great Game”. There never really is....just lesser and greater bad for free men.
The Euro ruling classes, whoever they were/are at the time, have been lying, cheating, stealing, assassinating, sanctimoniously posturing in defense of some “oppressed” minority or faith....conditioning their “peasant/working/middle” classes with nationalist propaganda to endure death, disease, rape and pillage for the ruling class’s benefit since....well since the fall of Rome in the West.
The West deposed by CIA/NATO spookery a lawful elected Russian leaning government in Ukraine to install an EU puppet.
That chicanery started the “Russian invasion dance” back in 2014...but the manipulation war reaches even further back to “the Orange Revolution” in 2004/5.
In a nutshell, it is always the EU Banksters trying to secure yet another noob to foist their debt dope slavery on and steal resources/markets.
In the early 90’s, Russia was promised with a wink and a nod that NATO would NOT advance East into the old Warsaw block countries....and obviously Ukraine.....but the West ignored that at a fast pace, and soon Russia’s greatest sin is having its borders next to NATO military bases.
Lots more to it including Russia’s 1,200 year old phobia of invasion (well justified) and border security.....but,
What do I know and I do not feel strongly about it.
nyt - seriously?
let them fight another year.
This time we should sell weapons to both sides...
maybe one will pay us?