While there are plenty of stories (and propaganda?) of Ukrainians fighting off the Russians, it does appear that Russia is in this for the long haul.

I suspect that whether Putin succeeds only depends on him avoiding assassination.

There are enough Russians who will go along with him, in the military, to make Ukraine a broken country.

Even if there are resistance fighters, Putin will wear any Russian losses as a badge of honor and he will tell his fellow Russians that the fallen are heroes for the cause.

I cannot see this ending any other way but badly for all.

I suppose it is possible for Putin to be satisfied with splitting Ukraine into two parts, with the eastern part being “saved” from the barbarian westerners.

See the current state of Kharkiv. Either it becomes a Russian city, or it will end up being demolished. Even if Kyiv remains free, the cities in the east are in trouble.

If Putin sees himself as the great incarnation of the Rus, then he believes he is starting something that will go on long after him.

What this means for us is not clear to me. We could be in a cold war that goes on for many years.

Or it could be a shooting war.

Or a nuclear war.

Best thing would be if someone does in Putin (and his closest henchmen.) Whether than can occur I don’t know, given how that recent picture of Putin sitting a great distance at a table from his fellow meeting members tells me that he is aware that he has to keep everyone beyond stabbing distance.