General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAfter Putin loses, the West should demand Russia de-nuke
After WWII, Germany took--was made to take--drastic measures to de-militarize in order to regain entry to "polite society."
What if, once this is all over and Putin is no longer an issue, a similar path were offered to Russia's new leadership: relinquish your nuclear arsenal and renounce your imperial desires.
One may argue that, in the case of Germany, it was a World War, and thus deserving of extraordinary measures; but the main reason this invasion hasn't/won't devolve into a World War, is simply and pointedly because of Russia's nuclear capacity.
Economic sanctions, if left on at full force, will knee-cap Russia, and they will eventually have to take extreme measures to be allowed back into functioning society. China may see it as advantageous as well, and may thus not intervene to rescue Russia.
Granted, I've just articulated Putin's worst fear, and his underlying rationale for everything he does, but the delicious irony would be that it was fully self-inflicted by Putin's foolishness. He will have inadvertently created his worst nightmare, lol.
(This assumes that Putin's successor is a rational person who favors democracy. What, it could happen. Long shot maybe, but it could. Just imagine.)
jimfields33
(15,473 posts)ck4829
(34,977 posts)AlexSFCA
(6,137 posts)Pantagruel
(2,580 posts)They gave up their nukes for a promise of protection from aggression. Has not worked out very well.
sarisataka
(18,220 posts)After the Second World War we were helping West Germany rather soon after the war ended.
I believe such a demand to Russia, regardless of leadership, would be met similarly to the demand of surrender to the Ukrainians on the island