Author Note: I have been on hiatus for several months due to travel and simply being too busy in retirement with other priorities. I still intend to blog but not as frequently. The war in Ukraine, filled with unspeakable horror and sorrow weighs on many people as they confront video of the suffering of the Ukrainian people. Some folks have asked for my opinion on the war and its implications. I offer my thoughts here for your consideration.
A settlement of the Russia-Ukraine War will likely be agreed
in the coming weeks as Russia’s military objectives move further from reach and
Western solidarity and support of Ukraine intensify. In this fourth week of battle the outcome is
coming into focus. Russian President
Vladimir Putin’s
original plan to quickly take control of the Ukrainian capital at Kyiv,
install a puppet government, and establish a compliant Belarus-type satellite
state failed. It appears Russia is now preparing
the groundwork for a best possible negotiated outcome, though Putin will likely
continue to take escalatory steps to weaken Ukrainian will and intimidate its
Western supporters until a final settlement is reached.