Hello, Obligatory shilling. This month I wrote for my Substack subscribers about Colin Wilson and consciousness, Jim Cornette conservatism, Lex Fridman’s reading list, artistic preciousness, anti-West iconoclasm, ideology and me, the World Economic Forum
I think the problem with your Ukraine solution is that your proposed "meeting in the middle" is basically allowing Ukraine to win. Returning to the status quo ante would mean Russia withdrawing to the line of control in January 2022, rescinding its claims of ownership of Ukrainian territory made since January 2022, and accepting nothing in return from Ukraine. With the EU having diversified its energy supplies. And with Ukraine free to join the EU and follow Poland along the yellow brick road to prosperity, leaving Russia and the Russian-controlled Ukrainian territories to rot in the grey prison of post-Soviet decay. Until the inevitable return of those territories to Ukraine, once such decay has progressed for another decade or so.
Everyone should be trying to make peace, and if peace can be made on those terms then it should be. But it's not plausible that Putin, or any realistic alternative Russian leader, would accept such terms. The middle ground you propose is absurdly pro-Ukrainian. That you're seen as being pro-Russian for suggesting it just makes clear how difficult it will be to make peace.
Odd phrase, make peace. Suggests superior beings descending from on high to point out the ways in which the foolish combatants have failed to realise that, actually, it's in their interests to stop fighting. And then those gobsmacked combatants realising how foolish they've been, and kissing the feet of their liberators.
Peace isn't made, it's imposed. In certain circumstances, those imposing it allow others to present themselves as wise peace makers. But contemporaries, judging by their actions, don't seem to be fooled.
I think the problem with your Ukraine solution is that your proposed "meeting in the middle" is basically allowing Ukraine to win. Returning to the status quo ante would mean Russia withdrawing to the line of control in January 2022, rescinding its claims of ownership of Ukrainian territory made since January 2022, and accepting nothing in return from Ukraine. With the EU having diversified its energy supplies. And with Ukraine free to join the EU and follow Poland along the yellow brick road to prosperity, leaving Russia and the Russian-controlled Ukrainian territories to rot in the grey prison of post-Soviet decay. Until the inevitable return of those territories to Ukraine, once such decay has progressed for another decade or so.
Everyone should be trying to make peace, and if peace can be made on those terms then it should be. But it's not plausible that Putin, or any realistic alternative Russian leader, would accept such terms. The middle ground you propose is absurdly pro-Ukrainian. That you're seen as being pro-Russian for suggesting it just makes clear how difficult it will be to make peace.
Odd phrase, make peace. Suggests superior beings descending from on high to point out the ways in which the foolish combatants have failed to realise that, actually, it's in their interests to stop fighting. And then those gobsmacked combatants realising how foolish they've been, and kissing the feet of their liberators.
Peace isn't made, it's imposed. In certain circumstances, those imposing it allow others to present themselves as wise peace makers. But contemporaries, judging by their actions, don't seem to be fooled.