Live Updates: Putin Orders ‘Special Military Operation’ in Ukraine
nytimes.com
nytimes.com
> "To anyone who would consider interfering from the outside: if you do, you will face consequences greater than any of you have faced in history. All relevant decisions have been taken. I hope you hear me."
If there is some way of interpreting this other than a guarantee of MAD, do enlighten me.
They have UNSC allies. Cryptocurrency makes it near impossible to sanction them, or stop them funding whatever they like.
Short of the war we're too afraid to wage, there's little we can do. Seize assets? Great. That might make it uncomfortable for Putin's allies but it's soft power when you consider that Putin can reimburse any losses. Don't get me wrong, I'm not cheerleading for a world war, but at this point, it's hard to see the advantage of avoiding it. Sacrificing Ukraine only shows the world how powerless we are if you're holding nukes, which is obviously a dangerous statement given the long-running conflicts around the world.
Indeed, Gazprom's recent inaction to stabilise supply has seen wholesale prices rocket. I can't imagine the chaos if Gazprom were ordered to cut the supply off.
By which I mean to say, Russia has bargaining power here too. It's not just pointy sticks.