Russia Ukraine war, page-998

The Ukrainian Oligarchs won't let go of the transit fees so easily - they still may fund some private military actions - its been their golden goose for decades.

Will NATO escalate this?

Doubt it, as the US did not even apply sanctions against Russia, only against the breakaway regions. And Ukraine is NOT part of NATO.

It was a fait accompli any way, as the breakaway regions was effectively, already under Russian control.

And this move, means Ukraine's admission into NATO will be impossible.

So Russia was able to achieve what it wanted (secure its border) without having to invade Ukraine and causing the deaths of tens of thousands.

Any way, the world will breathe a sigh of relief that we didn't end up with a nuclear war.