Everything Russia takes is a symbolic victory because Ukraine itself does not really matter to the West. The Russians could take every last city, every last plot of land, kill every last soldier, and all the Westener would see is opportunity -- opportunity to militarize further and keep the tumbling economy afloat.

I sincerely believe that's the whole calculus behind Europe constantly suggesting ridiculous, unacceptable terms to Russia. They know they won't accept, they know the Russians are winning the war, and they want them to keep advancing because they are profiting from Russia staying on people's minds, scaring them in militarization. They have become dependent on the war economy.

[–] Damarcusart@hexbear.net 19 points 3 months ago

It becomes a question of which faction of the western bourgeoisie will win out; the ones who stand to make a lot of money from a massive perpetual war economy, and those who stand to make a lot of money by instituting austerity measures on whatever rump state remains in Ukraine and extracting all their resources and labour power.