The Prospect

Putin apparently thought that the threat of overwhelming force would cow the Ukrainians into swift submission to a Russian takeover of that country. That seemed to me to be a reasonable supposition. I am in awe of Ukraine’s resistance and the bravery and leadership of President Zelensky, who declined an offer to be evacuated to a safe place.

Putin may now regret his decision to invade and conquer Ukraine, but it’s highly unlikely he’ll back off. Russian forces will likely take control of the country in the coming days. After much bloodshed, opposition will be reduced to occasional attacks on occupying forces and Russian puppet rulers. Putin will claim that the terrible toll taken on Ukraine and on Russians proves that Ukraine was run by terrorists and Nazis just as he had said. The world will settle into a tense, anxious, bristling, ugly, dangerous state as Cold War II begins to take shape.