© Getty Images / Kay Nietfeld
Constructive destruction is not aggressive. Russia maintains it isn't going to attack anyone or blow them up. It simply doesn't need to. The outside world provides Russia with more and more geopolitical opportunities for medium-term development as it is. With one big exception. NATO's expansion and formal or informal inclusion of Ukraine poses a risk to the country's security that Moscow simply won't accept.
For now, the West is on course to a slow but inevitable decay, both in terms of internal and external affairs and even the economy. And this is precisely why it has started this new Cold War after almost five hundred years of domination in world politics, the economy, and culture. Especially after its decisive victory in the 1990s to mid-2000s. I believe [1] it will most likely lose, stepping down as the global leader and becoming a more reasonable partner. And not a moment too soon: Russia will need to balance relations with a friendly, but increasingly more powerful China.
Comment: Earlier today, the Russian military reported that it killed 5 members of a Ukrainian "sabotage and recon group" attempting to cross into Russia in two combat vehicles. Ukraine denies this took place. They also denied that they have attacked Donetsk and Lugansk, so take that other denial with a grain of salt. Shortly after this, FSB director Bortnikov claimed that a Ukrainian soldier had been captured alive and is being held prisoner.
Ukraine started this war. Their masters in the U.S. and NATO wanted this. But no one predicted that Putin would recognize DPR and LPR's independence. That makes it official. The Minsk agreements are dead. Russia has been holding out for years, but Kiev has failed to implement ANY of their obligations. This just makes official what was de facto already the case. Though with the decision to send peacekeepers, the entire managerial class in the West now have the excuse they need to pat themselves on the back for predicting another "Russian invasion." We guess they'll get to find out if a war is really what they wanted after all - if it comes to that.