Russia may 'break off a tooth' if invading Ukraine.

[Mik]

Interesting piece. Too little depth about what 'devastating economic consequences' might be. My own feeling, right or wrong, is that Putin is trying to get concessions from the west at a time when we are more concerned about China and Taiwan.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russia-may-break-a-tooth-if-they-take-a-bite-out-of-ukraine-analyst-warns/ar-AARMgJO?ocid=msedgntp

[Renauda]

@mik

I don’t think you are incorrect. Trust your gut feeling, Russia’s neutrality in a conflict with China will come at a price to Ukraine and Georgia.

[Mik]

I cannot fault him for wanting to halt NATO expansion and retain a sphere of influence. It's good for Russia. I question the wisdom of trying to hedge Russia in given Russian memory of invasion, something we cannot imagine. I wonder what the results would have been had we done more to bring them into the world rather than isolate them.

Of course that didn't work so well in China, but China is not so close to the west.

[Renauda]

I have come to the conclusion there is nothing we could have done. Russia has chosen its own path into the future. Culturally Russians are not that different from the rest of Europe and the West. Politically however, they share very little in common with us. While that is confusing for us, it is very clear to Russians. The worst thing the West can do is try to shove Western progressivism in their face. They will reject it without compromise.

[Mik]

That rejection is smart in a lot of ways.

[Renauda]

The majority of Ukrainians reject the ideology of progressivism as well, we are just too full of ourselves to realize it. Putin knows this.