https://www.newsweek.com/nato-ukraine-membership-progress-do...
Regardless of what ultimately happens in Ukraine, nuclear proliferation is obviously going to accelerate. This is the very real consequence of the international community failing to collectively oppose Russian aggression.
It’s the ultimate card for deterrence. One you have nuclear weapons, no one fucks around.
Russia would have not invaded if Ukraine had nuclear weapons. Period.
US is tip-toeing with Russia because they have nuclear weapons. If they didn’t we’d be raining missiles on them like we did Iraq.
Iran will get nuclear missiles. They see how US behaves with North Korea.
And Russia's "partners" are a shit country stuck in 1880 (North Korea) and, well, China. China's great at intimidating third world countries, but in reality their support and capabilities are limited. As for India, well, back in the old days India would have taken Eastern Russia, since the Russian armed forces are busy trying not to get killed.
At least China and India seem to have cooled down their border issues.
https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/09/05/the-west-still-n...
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russia-oil-e...
Why isn't Europe an accomplice?
The undermined reputation came about because of a significant foreign influence effort that saw an agent hold the seat of power.
It's a dangerous world out there, and best not to be weak.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_Fund_for_Iraq
You have to laugh...
I also don't think the US and EU have pure motivations in any of this, particularly the US the EU just seems gullible.. the anti-Russia talk from the politicians is just fodder for the masses so the grift can continue as the actual actions and inactions tell a different story.. send complicated weapons systems ($$$), complicated weapons system doesn't work better start working on some new ones ($$$), oh that's some nice farmland you got there better let our corporations buy it up ($$$).
Almost nobody does even mandatory 2% GDP -> NATO flow, the only countries doing so are those treated brutally by soviets/russian in the past - Poland, baltic states. Heck, freakin' Germany is trying to put their highway maintenance costs into those 2%, since 'army anyway has to drive on them' - that's borderline treasonous behavior from Scholz in situation where enemy is at literal gates and repeatedly stated that it will wipe out half of population in nuclear strikes if they want to. Polish army can roll over wehrmacht anytime without breaking a sweat. Sane voices from former eastern bloc countries well-versed in soviet terror and brutality were completely ignored first months of war.
Leading countries in EU are still acting like there is some tiny annoying localized conflict far away and it will for sure end next month, and not like existential situation with many parallels with WWII and Hitler's behavior before and during it. They could have boosted their economies by diverting more money into defense, instead we get shooting in our own foot with endless green deal to kill half of European industry. Environmentally war on Ukraine is an utter disaster - we have some paper straws stupidities while they blow up 1 million plastic + chemistry + metal drones per year, on top of all other stuff blowing and burning to hell.
That's probably the only thing I agree with trump (those 2%), but then again its painfully obvious and Obama kept saying the same. With russians they understand only the rule of stronger, just like typical mafia. Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum.
/rant
The West is losing its influence and the USA is losing its reputation as a reliable partner. An undesirable result of the War in Ukraine will have some severe consequences for the US/EU in the decades to come. A lot of folks are just oblivious to it.