What's Putin's End Game

[DarthTrader]

EDIT - fucking shit turns out I'm right already. Russian occupiers to force introduction of Russian ruble in captured Tokmak.

I think Putin's actual end game is to force Ukraine to give up its currency and to enter a currency union with Russia, using only the Ruble.

This is the only thing that makes sense. Putin's been playing a strong shadow war against the EuroDollar and when he says "legal guarantees" that Ukraine remains neutral, there's only one way to ensure that, and that's to remove Ukraine from the EuroDollar system.

We haven't seen Putin enter the end game yet, he's too busy starving and destroying Ukrainians to ensure they never get back on their feet.

Forcing them onto the Ruble means that Russia calls all the shots and controls inflation/deflation and all financial/monetary policy over Ukraine. He turns Ukraine into a colony without having to actually rule anything. He can leave with Zelensky and Ukraine still hostile to Russia all they want, but they will surrender their currency to him.

Period.

I am predicting this 100%.

Forcing EU to make commodity payments in Rubles is stage one of this eventual fait-accompli.

 

[Augustine_]

I think Putin's actual end game is to force Ukraine to give up its currency and to enter a currency union with Russia, using only the Ruble.

The amount of pure hatred for Russia that Putin has unleashed in Ukraine because of this senseless war is going to make that difficult

 

[DarthTrader]

The amount of pure hatred for Russia that Putin has unleashed in Ukraine because of this senseless war is going to make that difficult

Not at all. Ukraine will give up something to stop the dying and starving. They'll gladly give up their Currency.

People don't know how powerful something as abstract as currency is....

Imagine telling a mother why her child has to starve to death so you can keep your president's face on a Hryvnia.

Imagine telling a soldier why he is the one who has to die for the Hryvnia.

Most won't understand the abstract importance, and in war, you don't have time to explain. They will surrender it stupidly and think it victory.

 

[jwoodie]

Putin wants Crimea and Ukraine out of NATO. All this talk about senseless evil and irrationality is propaganda. He will get what he wants from Biden, just like the Iranians.

 

[Lakhota]

We know what Putin's end game is...

 

[Esdraelon]

He can leave with Zelensky and Ukraine still hostile to Russia all they want, but they will surrender their currency to him.

That's nice. Meanwhile, his little Ivans are getting smoked, every day.

 

[ESay]

Putin has two main goals. The lesser one is to make Ukraine a puppet state. The bigger one is to get 'security guarantees' from NATO as they are put down in Russia's demands in December.

What he achieves and to what extent depends on his military successes and failures in Ukraine and NATO's resolve to stand against him.