Like most people, I have been following the invasion of Ukraine closely. Well, mostly via articles, I am trying not to watch too much at home when the kids are around. Granted, they are young, but I am not ready to try and explain what is going on to a five year old. I would explain it to Logan, he would just forget what I said in like two minutes.
I feel horrible for the people of Ukraine. It is awful what they are going through because of Vladimir Putin. I also feel bad for the Russian people, it seems like they are against this war as well. The craziest thing about this war is just how 21st century it is and how weird it feels. Soldiers giving away position because of Tinder/Grindr. Or seeing people livestream attacks. And yes, I realize there have been other wars and battles around the world that have been part of this modern society, but this feels bigger.
Also like many people, I have struggled with what we should be doing. I say we meaning the United States. I think the sanctions were the right move, as well as the diplomatic levers that are being pulled. But it feels like we should be sending troops and helping the Ukrainian people. Another part of me knows that is an awful idea. This could escalate into a full blown world war and I do not want to see that amount of death & destruction in my lifetime.
There seems to be only a few possible outcomes to all of this…
-Ukraine holds out and the Russian army pulls back. Putin claims something like he made his point and they will be watching the Ukrainian government’s treatment of the two states Russia claimed are independent.
-The Russian military finally gains traction and the manage to remove the current government and install a puppet dictator who answers to Putin.
-The Russian people rise up and demand Putin end the war. Desertions take a toll on the military and Putin is forced to step down. One thing that Russia was always known for was being slow to mobilize, but once they were able to get rolling, their people were fierce and even with poor equipment could muster large numbers to make them a formidable force. I believe the Russian people are still patriotic and love the Motherland, but something tells me they are just not going to send their sons to die for this cause. Defending themselves from would be invaders is one thing, being the aggressor is something else.
-The Russian oligarchs decide that money is more important and they take Putin out. They hold elections and rig them in favor of someone they can control.
-NATO gets involved and a massive war begins, but the Russian military is not nearly as strong as they led folks to believe, NATO forces crush them quickly. The world holds their breath waiting for Putin to launch a nuke.
Yeah, it is all terrifying.
