Russia vs. the World?
Intuitions about Ukraine by Gene W. Edwards.
Posted 1/21/2023.
Here goes. I’ll format this as Q (question)/A (answer).
Q. What’s the war in Ukraine really all about?
A. It’s about Russia’s power over NATO, which includes the USA, NATO’s most contributing member. Territory taking. Russia’s Putin wants to reassemble as much of the USSR as he can, targeting countries not in NATO and therefore outside NATO’s protection and purview. Ukraine’s fight back surprised him. There’s not so much resistance in other places he covets. He wants a shield around Russia, not NATO surrounding him and absorbing former Russian states financially and politically, exploiting their inhabitants’ new-found desire for freedom from their Mother Russia; NATO whittling away at Russia. Putin’s imitating Stalin in savagery and ambition.
Q. Should we be involved in that war?
A. It’s Europe’s war; it’s Europe’s problem. NATO doesn’t include many European and Eurasian countries, particularly Russia’s old satellite states and any Russia-side country that is unstable politically or has unstable boundaries. It’s been costly for us to bolster Europe’s token efforts to teach Putin a lesson. Europe does not want to spend one more dollar than is necessary to defend its NATO-alliance countries themselves. It’s not as much worried about threats to countries that are outsiders.
Q. Isn’t Putin practicing appeasement, and isn’t his war for Ukraine a war of attrition: wearing Ukraine down, partly leveling it?
A. Putin wants primo territory in order to bolster his empire. He believes history favors his enterprise of taking whatever he can get thorough any means. But Ukraine is fiercely fighting back. This is becoming a war of nerves and threats, a mid-twentieth-century nasty war, not enlightened humanity seeking peace and territorial protection and integrity in a spirit of transparency. Russia left post World War II Geneve Conventions (treaties and protocols) far behind in this war! Our world of differences gets smaller as media communication gets bigger. Dirty deeds more easily come to light.
Q. Does Putin have terminal cancer, as has been rumored and I suspect, and we’ll know soon?
A. Cancer concerns postponed as he seeks to conquer Ukraine instead. He is a fighter. Believing he’ll sicken or die sooner is wishful thinking.
Q. How much longer will he live? He is age 70 now.
A. He will live to age 72 (born 10/7/1952). He will not quit the war. His cancer is slow moving. The war ends early in 2025 after Putin’s death. There won’t be a public announcement of his terminal cancer until he clears broadcast of same, shortly before his passing. Surprisingly, Russia does not win Ukraine. It won’t even be able to hold Crimea or the Donbas. Europe will provide little help, but America will provide equipment, training, there will volunteers from everywhere in Ukraine and donated drones, etc. Our military advisors will be in Ukraine, and there will be classes here for Ukrainians on how to use our donated armament here. Geopolitics these days — big picture — suggests it is better for us to fight down Russia now, in Ukraine, far, far, from us, than indulge Putin’s megalomania in assaulting and piecemeal-conquering parts of that big, cojoined, continent(s) of Europe and Eurasia, thus widening Russia’s reach, and countered by its opposition, to evolve into World War III. Thus, we/they may dodge the “bullet.” Imperialist Russia’s last gasp. Ukraine will really resist after Putin dies, seeking freedom for itself!
Note: down the line, Putin is not averse to additional aggressions, such as conquering Moldova or consolidating his political base in Belorussia, but he won’t invade NATO lands. For now, and as far as I can see, Putin is too busy in trying to keep his head above water in Ukraine to expand his militarism further.
*****
Q. Will Putin’s war against Ukrainian infrastructure result in nuclear plant damage and a nuclear “accident” (radiation spill)?
A.: No.
Q. Will Russia use tactical nukes or otherwise engage in nuclear warfare in Ukraine or elsewhere?
A. Putin too smart for that. The threat suffices. He will continue to dump men and material into Ukraine to wear it down, wear it out. Destroying buildings and people in Ukraine, and thereby making Ukraine all but uninhabitable, means Russia can swoop in to use Ukraine’s land and natural resources for itself, unilaterally annex more and more of Ukraine.
Q.: Will Putin resort to using EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) weapons or other unconventional deadly weapons or tactics to advance his Ukraine war rather than losing it?
A.: Gladly, if he can get by with it. Count nothing out. He will weigh risk vs. benefit. Yes, he would use a game changer, and is looking for one.
*****
Q. Explain Biden’s mission in Ukraine and the 100 billion dollars (or more) of USA expenditure there, which amounts to $300 from every man, woman, and child here.
A. Biden doesn’t like bullies. Ukraine is like family for him, to his nurturing instincts. He grew up during the apex of the Cold War. His intel and military tell him to make Ukraine a painful and futile experiment for Putin. Putin’s incursion into Ukraine was answered by the West, realistically only by us — like when we entered World War II for Europe, but this time in plenty of time. I wonder what Dr. Henry Kissinger thinks about it all?
Q.: Is Biden’s resistance because he’s a New World Order/One World Government shill? Is that how he is wired?
A.: Biden simply cannot stand by and see Ukraine overrun by the 20th century old enemy of the West, Russia, Hitler’s successor in land grabs. There is no need to ascribe further motives regarding him.
Q.: In the larger scheme of things, is fate arranging circumstances to teach Russia a hard lesson, God thereby meting justice and advancing humanity?
A.: Because self-aggrandizing Russia pulled its sword out of its scabbard to lay waste to Ukraine, its historical antecedent and next-door neighbor, doing so in a savage and unforgivable way in this new potentially more enlightened century than the last, Russia is being forced to look at itself in the mirror as an enemy of nations and human advancement.
Q. How will all this end?
A. With the death of Putin, and not until then — followed by Russia leaving Ukraine. Republicans are not as much into Ukrainian rescue as Biden and the Democrats. The Republicans mostly see its price tag. I predict Biden is in the second half of his only term of office as president. The Russian people are tired of war. Russia’s national legislature may not be buying “Putin’s war” but are afraid to object. God helps Ukraine, believe it or not.
Q. Did 2/24/2021 mark the beginning, as rumored, of World War III, the day Russian troops entered Ukraine?
A. Russia is capable of starting and perpetuating such a war, but not this time. Resistance to Russia is prevailing. Even the sanctions are making it hard for Russia to repair and replace its war machines. Be grateful this war was no slam dunk. Watch Russia concede its hold on Ukraine. End of story.
*****
Q.: Anything else, intuitively?
A.: Biden is an interesting man, a phenomenon. He’s doing God’s work in Ukraine. So is America . . . because no one else will — even though it is not our job. “What Biden is doing is above your [my] pay grade.” Be careful [me] about soul-rating people. Sometimes you’re wrong. Keep it to yourself. Read what they do as who they are. “For your own info.” Biden’s the best example of a man with normal human flaws who exceeds all expectations because of his dedication to principles and justice, and getting things done, finding a way; mediating adversaries into supporters! He doesn’t deal in personalities; he’s bigger than that. He makes hard decisions without forever checking which way the political wind is blowing — and he does so for the greater good.
Putin had big plans for “his” Ukraine. Zelenskyy stopped him! So did Biden!
Pray about/for Ukraine, for Biden, for Zelenskyy, and for peace in the world.
Love,
Gene W. Edwards.
Posted 1/21/2023.
Posted on my blog, genewedwards.medium.com. Become a Follower of mine on there. I’ll also post it on Facebook under Gene W. Edwards.