They have set the anchor in these negotiations between us and them. They want status quo ante 1997. They will at least get Ukraine. Perhaps Moldavia.
And they created chaos. Which always also bears opportunity.
And China will wait.
They can want whatever they want, doesn't mean they are going to get it.
> They don't fight us, they fight the Ukraine.
They don't fight us, they fight Poland!
This sort of thing doesn't really work.
>> They can want whatever they want, doesn't mean they are going to get it.
They won't.
>> This sort of thing doesn't really work.
They somehow missed that.
They will pay.
Fog of War.
One of about 8 people seemed to genuinely support Putin (something like "he knows what he's doing, this is necessary").
Obviously just a vox pop but in general it seemed few supported the aggression and most were just afraid to talk about it.
Russians are in favor of Putin. And of course, the apparatus has been driving up approval ratings for him for months before this stunt. And now most Russian don't know anything from independent sources, some probably didn't even heard about that Ukraine Peace Operation. A lot of them just believe the whole narrative, because, well, it's the decadent West that says otherwise and 'they want to hold us down. They always do.'
So even if there is a fraction in the apparatus at all that would or could act, there alway looms the danger of a civil war for them.