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Poland`s aid to Ukraine if Russia invades - part 10 [3038]
A thought occurred to me today.
I grew up hearing - "Russia has no allies", "Nobody wants anything Russia has to sell", and so on... and so forth.
In this war, a critical role was played by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Now, increasingly, China is beginning to play a very important role as well.
Though I was not his fan, for a long period of time, this makes me somewhat appreciate Putin's genius more. When everybody on the Russian liberal opposition side was cracking wise jokes about Putin and his little fan club of dictators, the common sense proposition seemed to be that we should be friends with rich and pluralistic societies. However, Putin's actions did in fact prepare us for the type of existential war we are in now.
Where are Ukraine's friends? What are they saying now?
Meanwhile, Russia lost its currency reserves, was disconnected from the international financial system, and is burdened by the heaviest sanctions regime in world history - yet we still carry on. In many ways, thanks to these "friends", that did not abandon us.
Ukraine gets all the help in the world, isn't sanctioned by anyone, and yet seems utterly f*cked.
Putin, while not always the most clear-thinking person, had definitely correctly read the map of the world. It's astounding, also, how Iran and Korea are willing to recognize their share of the burden and repay past kindness. For a long time after this war, we will owe these people.
Just think about it - Ukraine had the pick of the litter with its friends, and now they are all abandoning them one by one. Putin seemed to relish collecting different freaks, and now they are actually standing by our side through thick and thin. Some lesson about life is hiding in there, somewhere.
