Is your argument that Putin does not represent Russia? I am genuinely struggling a little with parsing this response. Can you elaborate a little?
Russia has been totally screwed by this invasion. Strategically, economically and geopolitically. Putin, however, has consolidated his personal power. He has also opened up east Ukraine's mineral resources to himself and his cronies.
So far as I can tell, Russia now controls some 40% of the worlds grain production which feeds much of Europe and North Africa, 70+% of neon production needed for semiconductors, the main source of nuclear material for French energy, the main source of fuel for German energy, and a great deal of raw materials and commodities besides, such as timber, palladium, etc.
They now also have avenues to trade in energy in means other than the dollar, something which was not possible before, and have experience against modern NATO weapons. They are, so far as I can tell, far from screwed.
Yes, to an extent. The harm to America was far less than what Russia's facing. And the benefits to Bush et al less than what Putin hopes to reap.
Bush could retire in peace. Putin can't. Risking his country's destruction for a few more years in power wouldn't make sense for an American President; it does for Putin.
As for Bush, Cheney, Obama, Pompeo et al.. I don't know if they can retire in peace exactly. US taxpayers fund their security detail; some more so than others if you read some recent reports, but the point remains.
I am willing to agree with you on that there is a difference of degree, but Iraq war did a lot of damage.. not to just US standing, but to US population's perception of how things are really done. The main difference is that some of that damage is not as... easily translated into viral imagery.
It is. But this is a straw man. It’s always been. Ukraine hasn’t been seriously considered for NATO membership since 2008. Even its path to the EU was muddled at best.
Some effects of the war, e.g. Ukraine being flooded with Western weapons where it wasn’t before or Germany pivoting away from Russia, were unpredictable. But some, like the response in Finland and Sweden, or the Baltics’ remilitarisation, were.
Ukraine was and is falling under the control of the Ukrainians, and that remains the problem for Putin—not Russia.