US/NATO War on Russia

[Lauren Johnson]

From Brzezinski's, The Grand Chessboard (p. 46)

Ukraine, a new and important space on the Eurasian chess-
board, is a geopolitical pivot because its very existence as an inde-
pendent country helps to transform Russia. Without Ukraine,
Russia ceases to be a Eurasian empire. Russia without Ukraine can
still strive for imperial status, but it would then become a predom-
inantly Asian imperial state, more likely to be drawn into debilitat-
ing conflicts with aroused Central Asians, who would then be
resentful of the loss of their recent independence and would be
supported by their fellow Islamic states to the south. China would
also be likely to oppose any restoration of Russian domination
over Central Asia, given its increasing interest in the newly inde-
pendent states there. However, if Moscow regains control over
Ukraine, with its 52 million people and major resources as well as
its access to the Black Sea, Russia automatically again regains the
wherewithal to become a powerful imperial state, spanning Europe
and Asia. Ukraine's loss of independence would have immediate
consequences for Central Europe, transforming Poland into the
geopolitical pivot on the eastern frontier of a united Europe.

It's either/or. If Russia regains Ukraine, it becomes an empire again. Russia will naturally want this result. On the other hand, if Ukraine is brought into the EU and westernized, Russia will only be a regional power. This view has clearly set the stage for the conflict we see today.