The Rising Influence of Rising Affluence

[Bluewingcap]

Putin sees himself fighting a 1,000 year war against the West, and leading Russia to glory and renewed power.
Foreign Policy

Energy and agricultural resources become an added bonus.

And the sordid history of Grozny being bombed to oblivion finds it's echo in the destruction of Mariupol.

Putin's Russia acts like a Nazi regime, including barbaric war crimes against civilian populations. And then uses propaganda to co-opt that very argument against his Nazi tactics (De-Nazification of Ukraine). A rhetorical slight of hand used far too often in our domestic political discourse.

The NATO worry of escalation is well founded, but Putin will not stop with just Ukraine. I believe it is now time to provide Ukraine with the weapons and support they need to win the pending battle for Donbas, and control of commercial ports on the Sea of Azov. Russian atrocities committed to date approach the destructive force from WMD's. What more is to be feared from increasing a defense of Ukrainian independence?