Hi Everyone, Here’s a column I just published in The Hill plus an addendum I added about Putin’s demand that the West buy Russian energy with rubles. Please share this piece with all your contacts, but particularly your elected representatives. Putin's strategy may never have been to fight a conventional war with Ukraine. He may have always planned to put Ukraine under siege via bombardment from the air. The invasion may represent the pretense of running a conventional war to detract attention from his real plan — sit back and destroy Ukraine from the air. This represents a plan to systematically depopulate Ukraine either by killing its citizens or forcing them to flee the country.
I wondered about the ruble payment demand, too. On paper, I agree, it looks like it means nothing. But this interesting FT interpretation says it is all about forcing the west to do business with the Russian central bank, thereby weakening the sanctions. Does this make an sense to you? https://www.ft.com/content/f4699b68-cf17-4b97-aaf0-336b541bb7f1
I wondered about the ruble payment demand, too. On paper, I agree, it looks like it means nothing. But this interesting FT interpretation says it is all about forcing the west to do business with the Russian central bank, thereby weakening the sanctions. Does this make an sense to you? https://www.ft.com/content/f4699b68-cf17-4b97-aaf0-336b541bb7f1