The Russian people are still serfs in their own minds. They do not think or feel as though they are responsible for the actions and decisions of their government. The Russian people, in general, are not the stuff of successful and functional democracies.
It would be a huge mistake to try to beat Russia by fighting it on its strengths.
Why fight a war of attrition with a country and people that will not give proper attribution to its losses? Instead, achieve the goal of a long and prosperous peace by pulling out the sticks that support the facade.
Russia is morally and politically corrupt. Hang these modern-day fascists with their own rope.
We have seen that hundreds of thousands of young Russians will flee the country rather than fight Putin's war. What if that number was multiplied by ten? The country would collapse economically, and those that remain would be left to ponder their predicament--perhaps even to learn.
What if the western democracies offered citizenship and guaranteed jobs/income to any Russian that could flee across the border?
We could see perhaps 10 million Russians emigrate--enough to hollow out Putin's war machine. Better yet, it would perhaps finally achieve the objectives of NATO and put an end to the threat of Russian aggression.
It would cost perhaps $100 billion dollars and effectively win a war without the tragic destruction of the alternative.
