Putin, like all bullies, is really a coward at heart. And losing face is the worst insult he can imagine. So, what he will do is convert this war into a low grade fever for the world. He's retreated from Kyiv and will concentrate on trying to get that land bridge from Crimea to the Donbas, and consolidating the gains in the Donbas. Then he can "declare victory", and assert that is all they ever intended to do. Then he'll continue the campaign of periodically lobbing missiles into Ukraine into the indefinite future, just to be a pain in the ass, until "the west" allows him to keep his gains, and in return expecting them to drop sanctions.

Last edited by NW Ponderer; 04/05/22 04:12 PM.
A well reasoned argument is like a diamond: impervious to corruption and crystal clear - and infinitely rarer.

Here, as elsewhere, people are outraged at what feels like a rigged game -- an economy that won't respond, a democracy that won't listen, and a financial sector that holds all the cards. - Robert Reich