By Anthony Faiola

Columnist

(Jan. 20, 2022)

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The risk of war in Europe is rising. A blitz of diplomacy has failed to defuse fears of a Russian invasion in Ukraine, whose pro-Western government is sounding the alarm that Moscow has “almost completed” a menacing troop buildup on the country’s eastern frontier. A strike would force Washington and European allies to move from deterrence to action.

But how far is the West willing to go to defend Ukraine?

U.S. officials have warned of a possible Russian invasion for weeks. Espousing a vision of Russia and Ukraine as “one nation,” Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding a promise that its neighbor will never join NATO. Defending the right to self-determination, the Biden administration has refused such a pledge. Russia continues to deny a pending assault. But on Wednesday, President Biden predicted Putin would “move in” on Ukraine because, after all of his saber-rattling, “he has to do something.”

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JUST SAYING

BY RAUL HERNANDEZ

 Putin knows the risks he faces in Russia if he invades Ukraine.

 Russia goes back to breadlines. Worse, Russian soldiers will start returning to Moscow in body bags. The economy will be in a fast downward spiral. Russia will go back to breadlines and isolationism. Millions of angry and desperate Russians will take the streets. Russian soldiers will start killing protestors.

This will force the Oligarchs and the Russian military to make Putin disappear. Oligarchs are hardcore capitalists and could care less about the Russian people. They are about making money, and they love money. 

An invasion by Putin will dry up foreign investments in Russia. It will also close businesses, which will mean a rise in unemployment.

The military, sooner or later, will have dissension among the ranks after they are forced by Putin to shoot and brutalize Russian protestors.

The military, led by Russian generals, will do a Muammar Gaddafi on Putin and take the billions of rubles Putin stole from the Russian people.

Putin’s Russian pals/thugs, who also raided the Russian coffers, are worried that they might end up penniless prison in Siberia. Putin is only worried about protecting the billions of rubles that he stole from the Russian people, staying in power, and making sure Ukraine doesn’t become a prosperous democracy.

That is the real threat to the Russian border.