Originally Posted by
kamanya
- If we take Putin at his word, winning the Donbas doesn't solve his major gripes - NATO threat and westernisation of Ukraine. You can bet that Ukraine will make every effort to court the west in everyway possible to secure themselves after this.
In a way, getting the Donbas, given what has now happened doesn't solve anything for Putin other than a moral victory. In huge ways, it's made his original position far worse.
I'd agree with your last line. What I'm expecting to see is other players with established border disputes with Russia looking for an opportunity to recover old losses. Admittedly the threat of nuclear reprisals may inhibit that but it must be clear to all that as regards conventional forces goes Russia has put about all it's got into the Ukraine conflict.
Regarding ' If we take Putin at his word the NATO threat etc'
In fact Putin's announced justification was that it was that it was imperative that the Ukraine be de-nazified. But maybe this was just intended for his internal audience and it's then up the the trolls of the Saint Petersburg Internet Research Agency to propagate the notion that this is in fact all the West's fault for expanding NATO so enthusiastically. (a degree of Orwellian double-think that is rich in irony given Russian history).
Nothing ever being said about little countries such as Estonia who are right next door to the smirking czar and are entitled to feel a little more secure.