Russo-Ukrainian War & WW2
Some pundits have noticed certain parallels between the situation at present and that shortly before the Second World War.
At that time there was a war going on in Europe.
The US was supplying arms and assistance to the British, just as NATO is supplying the Ukrainians. The US had attempted through embargo to force Japan to desist from its invasion into China. Oil was an issue although somewhat in opposition to the situation today. At that time the US had cut off oil exports to Japan, in this case, as a part of sanctions the US and certain NATO countries had cut off oil imports from Russia and had frozen assets.
The generally accepted version is that Japan was largely dependent upon US controlled oil such that there was a sort of ticking clock on action by Japan. Either they cease hostilities or go dry insofar as petroleum was concerned.
As everyone knows, the Japanese choose a third alternative.
Basically war under the erroneous belief that something similar to the outcome of the Russo Japanese war could be achieved, a negotiated peace.
Similarly, today what appears to be a crushing array of sanctions leveled on the Soviet Union. As a result, seeking to cause them to cease hostilities and ultimately withdraw.
The Russian economy, smaller than Italy by GDP. Is under considerable pressure and would appear to have a clock ticking similar to the one presented to Japan. Withdraw and cease hostilities or end up a pariah with an economy in shambles.
The problem is there is always the third option or rather steps oriented towards the third option of those of hawkish orientation in the form of military escalation and internal repression of dissent.
We have seen a prelude to that in the form of destruction of civilian infrastructure. Literally, the cities are being leveled. Civilians in Russian occupied find themselves shipped off to destinations inside Russia, presumably modern-day gulags.
The problem with such escalation is at some point widespread war may potentially trigger. Whether it is the use of chemical or nuclear weapons or incursions into NATO territory is unclear.
Putin seems to be attempting to justify chemical weaponry while threatening nuclear war if the outside world intervenes directly in much the same way he sought to justify the invasion into the Ukraine itself, claiming that the Ukraine was a “threat” to Russia.
