to deal with the nature of modern warfare, much of which is carried out via cyberspace and the financial system.

Alot of these foreign oligarchs are agents of authoritarian dictators like Putin, and are waging war on the West from the inside.

IT and otherwise, that can bring pressure upon Russia and their enablers, in ways that can cripple the Putin regime from the inside out.

Hacking, boycotts, ostracization... the entire world order needs shaking up. There are many people in the West who led us to this point as well, let's not forget it. Ukraine should've been in NATO a long time ago - if they were this would not be happening. We appeased Putin for too long and give off the impression of being afraid of him - and bullies sense and exploit weakness.

and I'd rather that the chimps on the side of freedom win.

I think the West is coming to the conclusion that this is a zero sum game. Putin will not accept the existence of the West, which he views as a threat to authoritarian regimes like his own. Thus, going forward the West IMO will work to cripple Russia with sanctions as well as expand and beef up NATO - all of which will steadily bankrupt the Putin regime and force it to implode. Ukraine and Georgia should've been admitted to NATO a long time ago, which would have prevented Russian aggression against them. Appeasing Putin was a terrible mistake.

Europe (especially Germany) appeased (and forced us to in the process) Russia. Ukraine and Georgia should've been in NATO a long time ago. Russia/Putin's oil corrupted Europe.

especially with weapons/intelligence/etc we supply them with. They hate Putin with a passion and will never accept being forcibly Russified.

in the 90s, where Bill Clinton went around the UN to get around Russia.

In recent years, especially due to Trump, NATO was in disarray.

But this act of Russian aggression is historic - and has strongly united NATO - the most powerful military alliance in the history of the world.

NATO countries have a combined GDP of $42 trillion. Russia has a GDP of $2 trillion.

Basically this is the beginning of another Cold War and arms race where NATO will show Russia it has no chance - especially as the sanctions cripple their economy.

to include Georgia and Ukraine many years ago, is what is causing this current conflict.

You don't see Putin threatening any former Soviet state that is now a member of NATO, do you?

Unfortunately many in the West (either intentionally or unwittingly) have bought into the 'poor victimized Russia/bad NATO' Kremlin narrative.

It is the West that put Russia back on solid ground when they imploded under the weight of their own contradictions. We nursed them back to life - which was stupid. We should've shrunk Russia and its influence as much as possible and pushed them harder towards democracy.

China is basicaly just a factory for the West, and Russia is just an oil/gas oligarchy. Neither country has the type of intellectual, creative and productive strength and resiliency of Western democracy and capitalism. The combined gdp of NATO countries ($42 trillion) is more than double that of China and Russia combined. NATO's military is the most advanced and huge, and could be much larger if need be, due to the economic and technological superiority of the West relative to the anti-West.



Russia in particular has a dysfunctional kleptocratic top-heavy economy with a weak gdp ($2 trillion) and high inflation. The tougher sanctions can cripple their economy and send it into a tailspin. China may offer some help to them but recent comments coming out of Beijing condemned the invasion of Ukraine. China, again as the factory of the world, does not want any global instability - especially fears the wrath of the West that it relies on as consumers, and I highly doubt would ever go 'all in' on latching itself to crappy Russia.

they speak. There are all types of of intertwined histories countries have. Most modern day Ukrainians view themselves as Ukrainian, with a distinct identity and culture apart from Russia.

Anyone who thinks Putin cares about 'protecting ethnic Russians' or 'is afraid of NATO' or other such issues is deluded. He will accept nothing less than Ukraine cleansing itself of Western influences and becoming a puppet state of Russia. And note his opinion has shifted around on this, as in 2002 he stated that Ukraine was a free country and could join NATO if it so chose.