In the wake of the Russian military’s struggles in the Ukraine War, Vladimir Putin has mobilized 300,000 additional troops and even made what some think are veiled threats of nuclear aggression. Straight Arrow News contributor Larry Lindsey says Putin’s actions reek of desperation. He also warns it’s time to think about what happens if Russia loses the Ukraine War. Failure to ask the right questions, Lindsey says, could lead to even more problems down the road.

Although punishing Putin is certainly…morally quite appropriate, it isn’t exactly something he’s going to go for right away. For example, how does Ukraine get Crimea back without sending its troops and probably NATO’s troops onto Crimean soil? But that’s exactly what Putin said would cause him to use tactical nuclear weapons. How do we collect all those war criminals to bring them on to trial? Well, are we going to go to Moscow and seize them physically? Again, that’s the kind of move that would trigger tactical nuclear response. 

Well, those are the kinds of questions people are asking. What you’re not asking is really as important. Suppose we win? Suppose everything goes right. Putin magically collapses, we take the Crimea and whatever. Then what?

What happens to Russia’s resources? Europe has said they’re no longer going to buy them. But what if European or NATO forces occupy Russia? We don’t have to buy them. They can take them or quote, buy them at very concessionary rates. Is the European energy strategy still intact? Or is renewed interests going to come for Russian energy? More importantly, if Russia’s military is degraded, exactly who is it that’s going to defend the resources of Siberia and central Asia from…being taken by the Chinese? Is it the Russian military that’s there now? Or is NATO going to defend those resources?

I doubt it very much. 

Those questions are not even being considered right now. Just as a reminder, we went into our current sanctions regime without giving them a lot of thought in advance. Right now, we’re not giving the end of the war very much thought. But we’re threatening…making threats, I guess that could end up having the war end with a nuclear exchange. We hope that doesn’t happen. But the alternative isn’t being considered, either. 

What do we do if we actually declare victory? It’s time for us to take a deep breath and start thinking these things through.