We are using Ukraine as a proxy to bleed Russia and remove Putin. It is a cynical operation. We must destroy Ukraine to save it. What is the end game? What is the definition of winning in Ukraine?
Who is going to pay for the rebuilding of Ukraine? With millions of refugees in Europe and around the globe, it will take years to make many of the larger cities habitable. It will take hundreds of billions of dollars to repair the damage. And Ukraine is still one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
We have declared economic war on Russia destroying their economy and currency. How do we walk that back? We have started a new Cold War. And we are still waiting for the other shoe to drop on Russian retaliation, which will probably take the form of asymmetric warfare.
The definition of winning has already been met for the neocons in DC. A $7B General Dynamics deal with Poland for another 350 Abrams. I put the over under GD tank contacts over the next five years at 5000, etc., etc., etc. Who’s going to going pay for it? Did you shave this morning, that guy. So far, at least, we are using proxies and no American boys are bleeding and dying, yet. If you replace Ukraine with Iraq in your reply, you’ll see where this is heading. The crazy thing is, we were much less restrained than Putin when we brutally overran Iraq twice. Our justification for this 20 year reign of terror, 6000 miles away, Saddam’s phantom yellow cake. The Russians are looking at the last domino to fall that puts these former Warsaw Pact victims on its border, ready to kick in the door, 300 miles from Moscow. Who’s more justified in their actions?
Who will pay? I read the West currently holds $300 billion in Russian assets.
As far as the economic damage to Russia, much of that will be semi-permanent, as no one will be in a rush to resume commercial ties that can be destroyed immediately by renewed sanctions at any moment.