After the two world wars in the 20th century, mapmakers were kept busy redrawing boundaries. Empires disappeared, new countries were born, and power alliances shifted radically. No matter what happens in Ukraine going forward, a weakened Russia cannot “win” in any conventional sense of the word. They may gain a little territory, but at such a horrific cost in money, men, and prestige that their status as a “superpower” will be questioned — even though their nuclear stockpile will (hopefully) remain intact.
