Ukraine Always Get What You Want

I'm pretty sure the NATO charter says, "you can't join until you've resolved your international conflicts."

 

It appears to be a response to Putin's announcement of the annexation of the four territories where the sham vote was held. Among other things the vote to admit to NATO must be unanimous, and I'm not sure that would happen.

Zelenskyy may be angling for some sort of NATO protectorate status. He has to know that making this move will wind Putin up big-time

 

Having a hard time seeing the off ramp for all sides here.

Ukraine is not going to just hand over the eastern portion of its country. Putin isn't going to admit defeat.

None of this is good.

 

Nope. This is likely to fan the flames. OTOH, Zelenskyy may think that he's got the advantage and that an extended war will make things much harder for Putin and the Rus than for him. More time for sanctions to bite, for unrest to grow in Russia, etc.

 

I doubt any nukes will be popped, but Russia is likely to use everything just short of it, including biological and chemical weapons.

This will just end up being another "forever war" until one thing or the other happens: Either the West holds fast and Putin runs out of cards to play, or Europe gets cold feet (literally) and caves. Winters in Europe suck.

 

What does Europe caving look like for all the other European countries who share a border with Russia?

 

The overlap between the justifications in Putin's speech and the talking points of certain sectors of US politics is purely a coincidence, I'm sure.

 

Putin is the figurehead of a global, white power, authoritarian movement. That’s why the far-right here support him. That’s why Tucker Carlson sounds like his spokesman on Fox News.

 

That’s why someone else loves him, too, maybe?

 

Here's a good story in the Washington Post about this week's escalation of tensions and stakes in the Ukraine takeover.

Russia’s annexation puts world ‘two or three steps away’ from nuclear war

 

Ukraine war: Russian troops forced out of eastern town Lyman

 

This is from The Atlantic, with perfect descriptions of Putin and his approach.

Putin in the Bunker