In Defense of Ukraine against Russia

Ruble Collapses: Whither Russia?

Well, well, well. The price of oil/natural gas has collapsed. This is bad news for any oil producing country, but Russia is especially vulnerable. A large portion of her government budget is funded by them. That is why the Ruble has plummeted. The national budget, not to mention the Russian economy, is in for a world of hurt.

The Ukraine Army Has Been Destroyed

To say that the Ukraine military is of modest size is to be generous. What little of it there was, has been wiped out by a rather small Russian force. This seems to be little known.

NATO Has No Intention to Dismantle Russia

There are some opinions that the EU and NATO are trying to surround and isolate Russia: at best a half-truth. The EU is always trying to expand membership to all European countries, including former Warsaw Pact ones, but not all of them qualify. They are not singling out ones that adjacent to Russia. NATO is indeed moving some military assets up against the Russian border, but this happened after Russia invaded Crimea. Putin should acquaint himself with Newton's Third Law of Motion.

It's Not Ukraine or Russia, It's Putin

That a diplomatic solution has not been found is rather disappointing. This will not occur until both sides holster their six-shooters, share a bottle of vodka, and talk things out. Yes, Brussels and Washington also have a role to play, but Putin would rather show-off his machismo. Unless he and his henchmen fall out of power, it is difficult to see how a solution can be fashioned. For example, he thinks that it is his right to “take back” Crimea.

Ukraine Citizens Should Be Allowed to Choose for Themselves

Hearing opinions that outside forces should be allowed to dictate as to what the constitution, national boundaries, states, parliament membership, and government structure should be, is rather disquieting. They have already had elections, and opinions that these are not legitimate are even worse.

Ukraine vs. Russia War—the Next Generation

The only predictable thing about politics, diplomacy, and war is that they are unpredictable. One ought to be very skeptical of anyone telling you how things are going to work out or that the only solution is this or that. Already, the war has taken a couple of unexpected twists and turns, and this is unlikely to change anytime soon.