Not stopping Russia can create bigger problems in 1 or 2 years (and it will come on top of existing problems.)
Stopping Russia from copying 1930ies Germany and/or recreating USSR.
The last 20 years Russia has been salami slicing Eastern Europe, taking one slice at the time.
BTW: I think it would be a lot more consistent and believable if you didn't - in a short timespan - both try to criticise me for 1.) not wanting to give enough subsidized fuels to Europe 2.) wanting to subsidize fuels for Europe.
Russia is a poor country without science, technologies and a fossil fuel economy. Everything left from USSR is already fucked up or a one step from being fucked up. There are no means of production to even think about repeating smth like that. The market fall and the money which will be spent on that new "republic" is already enough to send everything to hell, not even talking about the global market fall. The only place you can get an image of it as an almighty Empire is in tv.
> The last 20 years Russia has been salami slicing Eastern Europe, taking one slice at the time.
The fact that Russia is less poor than other exUSSR republics and could easily conquer them doesn't mean that it has resources for a direct conflict with NATO, but Putin can frown intimidatingly in TV, that's for sure. 150k of military troops my ass.
> BTW: I think it would be a lot more consistent and believable if you didn't - in a short timespan - both try to criticise me for 1.) not wanting to give enough subsidized fuels to Europe 2.) wanting to subsidize fuels for Europe.
what
[1]: In the long run oil and gas prices should probably increase until solar and nuclear power become very profitable.
Russia is also a European democracy. Surprise
> I think, temporarily[1] until we get this mess sorted. > [1]: In the long run oil and gas prices should probably increase until solar and nuclear power become very profitable.
Won't happen during your lifetime.
Nasty surprises seem to happen to people who credibly oppose Putin. Without free press and free speech, elections don't mean much.
I believe, they just don't have/don't want to spend money on showing a real election circus, like in US. Russia is a poor country and making people believe that a cross in a white form means something if you are not a billionaire and can't get billionaires to support you with money, costs a lot.
You have "free press" and "free speech" in the internet, doesn't seem to help much, does it?
And the argument "we're too poor to be a democracy" is bullshit. The real issue is that the country is too corrupt to be a democracy. (The US also has this problem, but to a much lesser extent. Well, somewhat lesser, at least. Trump has certainly has certainly tried to follow Putin there.)
And of course the country is too oppressed to be a democracy. You can't have meaningful elections if you don't have free speech and free press.
Muahahahaa! Wow, man, you're funny!
> Surprise
Yes, indeed: I am surprised anyone with more than a vacuum between their ears could think that.