Quote Originally Posted by CoccoBill View Post
I'm not so much criticizing them of their actions than of the outcomes, I'm not convinced this is ending anytime soon. A cease fire or a peace deal isn't changing anything either medium to long term, Russia's outlook on the world and their aspirations aren't changing. Germany was humiliated in WW1, which in a large part led to WW2. The difference is after WW2 Germany went through a reckoning, and I would say they are now one of the least likely countries to go full hitler. Russia never had that, they've never reconciled their past, the Stalin purges, the wars, the Soviet era. The propaganda machine and state control there is now comparable with North Korea, anyone with any sense left is either fleeing or detained. There's a large and increasing part of the population, not unlike in the US, who are buying into the propaganda that "west is bad". We should all be worried.

I'm thinking more and more favorably of a no-fly zone over Ukraine, anything less may just be delaying the inevitable escalation.

The best reasonably likely outcome to me, as bad as it seems, would be for it to drag on long enough that Putin gets taken out by his own side.

I think the no fly zone is tantamount to a declaration of war, which might goad him into going nuke. I might feel differently if I were in a neighboring country though.