Russia and Ukraine

[Anomalocaris]

I don’t really think so.  If Russia can succeed in making ukraine economically demographically non-viable as a state with ability to chose its own economic and geopolitical alignment, then finland and sweden joining NATO is a trivial price to pay.

Big "if" there.

ETA: You're going to need more than one edit to repair this flawed hypothesis.

Making Ukraine beholden to Russia is foundational to Russia’s status as a great Euroasia power.  taking the long view, say 100 years, of durable foundations of Russia’s position in the world, keeping sway over ukraine is hugely more important to Russia than the blow back in the form of sanctions and temporary diplomatic alienation from a west that is beholden to a hegemon whose priority had been on dismantling the foundations of russia geopolitical power.

lol, you've got to try to look 100 years into the future to find a way to rescue this idiotic decision.

fuck off..