Doing so though would put the US in an awkward state wouldn't though? Accepting that Russia reclaimed what was never officially given away is a technicality that the rest of the world may not see the same way.ssu wrote:Russia's objectives on the Ukraine issue:The Conservative wrote: My two cents, it depends on what kind of peace we obtain, and who keeps ownership if the Ukraine. Russia has a history of not really like giving countries back that it takes through force.
1) A de facto acceptance of the annexation of Crimea. Like uh, well the Baltic States, to give an example. The US actually never didn't officially accept the annexation of the Baltic States by Stalin in the first place. So basically the US (and the West) can give in here By simply forgetting totally the whole annexation. A formal acceptance might be too big thing to ask, and definitely isn't happening now.
2) That Ukraine stays under it's influence. That Ukraine has a Yanukovich-type leading Ukraine. Influencing Ukraine is the way here, because in invading especially Western Ukraine and you are definitely bogged down in an insurgency. Far better to have Ukrainian politicians think that the West has deserted them and the only way for them is to submit to the Kremlin.
For what it would mean that in reality, President Obama put us in such a weak state do deal and put pressure on international situations that we no longer have the ability to be the world police if need be. Since the UN is nothing greater than a Toothless Tiger without the US, and in some cases Russia, we are almost back to a point where the UN is unable to do anything worth meriting.
In this turn of events though we would be looking at a three-pronged cold war between the US vs Russia and China. One "cold war" we can survive... on two fronts, with multiple active war fronts, I am not sure the US can actually survive as we are today.