Ghosts of 1939, about which I’ve heard stories from my grandfather and was taught in history lessons, suddenly came to life just around the corner. The only consolation is that the west finally saw the Kremlin for what it always has been - a treacherous, lying dictatorship that seeks to enrich itself through any means and cannot be trusted.
Putin managed to do in a single week what multiple US presidents couldn’t in years - remilitarization of Germany. Also, he managed to get Scandinavia to join NATO and dismissed any ideas some countries might have had about leaving EU for decades.
Europe will pay a price which is unknown, but it is certain it will be huge. You just don’t quit drugs (cheap energy) in a week. There will be massive projects undertaken to public dismay.
Ukraine, unfortunately, cannot win - it already lost, even if Russian forces withdraw this instant. The question which remains is can Putin still win. He must be given an option, otherwise this ends really, really ugly.