Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Swartz
What makes you think they can't go much past Kyiv? I haven't seen anything to that effect. Agreed on Xi for sure, but I don't think this changes Putin's legacy very much. This is who he's been. It's clearer and more obvious this time sure, but it's not fundamentally different in any way. He's been a strongman authoritarian, he is one, he clearly intends to be one to his grave.
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For clarification, Kyiv being the location of the central Ukrainian government, I mean control of Ukraine and the ability to put a puppet government in place.
Much past that would mean either the Baltic states, since they are in NATO and presumably Xi believes that's a red line and does not want WWIII to begin, or Finland/Sweden if they begin the NATO process (being mostly capable of joining, as far as I know) and Putin continues with his threats.
I don't know, though. Moldova seems like it's pretty much in the same camp as Belarus and Georgia seems to be quite willing to do whatever it takes to stay out of Putin's vision.
I hope the pressure remains. As painful as it is, that Ukraine has the resolve to avoid supporting a puppet government and that the EU and the US does everything it can to help that process and never recognize whatever Putin puts in place there. Because we can't stop what's happening now.