There are a number of aspects to this whole thing ...
The very fact that Russia invaded Ukraine was a massive diplomatic failure. Not simply between the US and Russia, but EU leaders as well. I think this could have been avoided, but incompetent people are running our country, Germany, and the UK. Meanwhile, a gangster runs Russia
That being said ...
I will give some credit where credit is due: Biden did not listen to people like Bolton and start WWIII. He responded with harsh sanctions, booted Russia out of SWIFT, and sent arms and money to Ukraine. He couldn't have done much more than that in the first 6 months of the war. He emphasized that there would be no American boots on the ground, and I think he handled that correctly. But it was a little bit like closing the barn door after the horse has run off
Sanctions largely failed because India and China are buying massive quantities of Russian oil. Those countries, in addition to Iran and North Korea, are happy to supply Russia with goods, materials, and even arms.
We could begin to confiscate Russian property worldwide, BUT, that should be held back as a threat / bargaining chip to be used in a peace agreement
I have said this many times to my conservative friends, and I know they don't want to hear it, but it is true: there is absolutely no "path to victory" for Ukraine. There never was. The idea that Zelensky was going to drive Russian forces out of the country, re-take Crimea, and even march on Moscow, was a fantasy promoted by the MSM.
Did Russia lose a large number of men and equipment? Absolutely --just like they did in 1941. Their industrial capacity, fossil-fuel revenues, population, and reckless determination, will overwhelm Ukraine. Russia isn't even in a full war-economy right now.
Putin's goals are as follows:
1. Keep Ukraine in a state of conflict, which prevents it from joining NATO or the EU. He will dig in and drag out the conflict for years if necessary.
2. Obtain more arms and resources from his allies and India. Build the war-chest back up.
3. Wait for popular dissent in the EU to get to a boiling point. Germany is in recession, the UK economy is a mess, and people are angry. Inflation is a huge problem.
If Putin suffers a set-back, he can do a general mobilization and dump 2 million men into Ukraine within 2 months. He can go to a full war-economy. The costs will be huge, but Ukraine will be overwhelmed, Khiv will be taken, and Zelensky will probably be dead, or in exile.
Some kind of peace agreement has to be reached, and Ukraine is going to have to give up territory (likely). There is a way to give up territory, and yet win major concessions. It could look like this:
Ukraine gives Russia the following:
1. The territories in the east that have been seized
2. A peace agreement that guarantees Ukraine will not seek NATO membership
Russia gives Ukraine the following:
1. Monetary reparations
2. Uncontested EU membership
3. Profit-sharing agreements regarding oil pipelines, gas, and minerals.
4. A formal peace agreement with new borders
5. Complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the eastern territories, and UN troops can come in to keep peace between ethnic Russians and Ukrainians
If a peace agreement is not reached, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and Russians will die, including civilians. The Neocons are cynically dragging this out in an effort to punish Russia, but Ukraine is suffering.
Life is many times not about making a good decision vs. a bad. It is making a choice between two bad choices.
