PS: As time goes by there are more looking beyondUS...

PS: As time goes by there are more looking beyond
US propaganda/spin (Ie: Russia only wants to conquest property)
and instead viewing the conquest of Georgian & Ukrainian
territory as a strategy to prevent both countries from being
acceptable NATO applicants due to disputed borders .

In exssence to overcome NATO's prerequisite of
"no border/territory disputes" both the Ukraine
& Gorgia will have to permanently cede territory
to Russia with a formal settlement. This applies to Moldova to
a lesser extent, IMO , because Transnistra is still a civil rebellion
aided by Russia ...a microcosm of what Donbas was prior to 2022.

IMO the Ukrainian invasion (liberation according to Andy's propaganda)
has further increased Putin's hold on power...rather than the opposite.

Nato's further expansion around the Black Sea will likely be top
of Russia's aganda in any peace negotions, IMO , with Russia
retaining some level of control over the part of conquested territories
for at least 30 years as a guarantee.

During that time the USA (if it survives) will likely have been
successful in demolishing the EC/Euro (Backed Brexit) and that would
strengthen Russia's position on follow-up negotiations .

In the interim, China is " lying doggo"

On a personal level, I would prefer if the Ukraine could revert
to pre-2014 but given events in the interim, that's a pipe dream.

Wise politicians/Governments act within their own power /capabilities
and dont rely on others for national security (that's what it means to be neutral)
but unfortunately for the Ukrainian people that did not happen.
Had the Ukraine played its cards right 2010 to 2014, it could have
economically exploited the conflicting interests of both Russia
and the USA (AKA NATO) thereby dragging the country out of poverty
(Ukraine was the poorest country in Europe in 2013 despite having independence
and enormous resoutrces since 1991 with its oligarchs having robbed the SOEs
imitating the Russian Oligarchs )

There are over 1800 Ukrainian refugees where I am now and their direct
feedback to me is that they have no intention of returning to the Ukraine..
but instead taking family/extended family to the EC under family reunion programs

. They are much better off here on welfare, free housing and a generous extra
refugee monthly bonus than they ever were in the Ukraine and of course
with much better prospects

So the bottom line here is that even if the Ukraine won the war tomorrow
that the irreparable demographic damage has already been done because
most of the Ukrainian refugees in Europe are women and children. The local
community college is chucka with Ukrainians learning English and prepping
for work with their kids in special primary and secondary schools bridging
the language gap.

i have contributed to this local community program directly and via donations