1. Weakened the Russian economy - by annexing a major port, and a chunk of vital manufacturing in eastern Ukraine. BZZZZT
2. China getting a bargain gas deal - Russia just got the biggest customer on earth for their #1 resource. BZZZZZT
3. Revived NATO - who did nothing to help Ukraine. Merely got talking heads talking again. BZZZZZT
4. Spurred Europe ending its addiction to Russian gas - Doesn't mean they'll actually do it. They won't. BZZZZZT.
5. Began a debate across Europe about increasing defense spending - More talking heads talking. Yeah, that hurts Putin soooo much. Again, call me if it ever happens. Hint: it won't. Europeans are too comfortable in their Socialist havens to give up anything for non-Russian gas or for military expenditures. ("Let America do that stuff!") BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!
Sorry Tommy, you do not move on to the next round.
Russia hasn't annexed Eastern Ukraine. They were working on it, but the Ukrainians are putting up a good fight.
” Europeans are too comfortable in their Socialist havens to give up anything for non-Russian gas or for military expenditures. (”Let America do that stuff!”)”
Exactly. We need to get out of NATO, withdraw our troops from Japan and Korea, and let the freeloaders know there’s no more free lunch. We’ve taken care of the richest nations on the planet for far too long.
That is exactly what the EU wants to happen, i.e. for the USA to fade off the world scene so that they can become the “third power” they have so desperately wanted to be for decades. They have leaned on the USA in order to precipitate just that.
Europeans are too comfortable in their Socialist havens to give up anything for non-Russian gas or for military expenditures. (“Let America do that stuff!”)