Russia isn’t going to nuke the Uke.
They want the resources intact — same as the EU.
Nobody goes to war thinking it will be catastrophic. In 1914, all sides thought it would be “over by Christmas”.
“Russia isn’t going to nuke the Uke.”
^^^ This. Putin has won the bulk of what he wanted. Now it’s time for him to freeze the gains into a permanent expansion of Russian territory by an agreement to cease fire and freeze in place.
The “elections,” the annexation of eastern Ukraine, the mobilization, and the nuke threat are chips on that bargaining table.
The trouble is, Biden has backed the US into a corner. If we agree to the Russian gains, Biden has lost and spent billions and billions doing so. The media can only cover for him so much. So there will be no agreement before the midterms at a minimum.
After the midterms, Biden either loses a war by giving the Russians their gains or keeps tossing money down a rat hole. At a certain point, Biden will lose control of the issue because the Europeans are going to be forced to the bargaining table by freezing people and plummeting economies.
(When I say Biden, I am actually referring to whichever neocons are making the decisions in the white house).