Whither Next? - By CDRE Patrick J. Tyrrell OBE RN (Ret’d) T

It is preparing to wage a more concentrated campaign in the east of Ukraine to annex the entire Donbas region and the southern region bordering the Azov and Black Seas. [...] Whatever the outcome, it will not come quickly; the Russians are now aware that their shortcomings, revealed to the West and the world, will require an exhausting and annihilating campaign to demonstrate their supremacy. [...] Their decisions will have far-reaching ramifications across the globe: should we try to strengthen the post-WWII international order; do we allow the autocracy (and bullying) of Russia and China to dictate how the world should be run? Is democracy worth fighting for? There will be pressure to end the conflict at all costs - and accept that Ukraine will be sacrificed to Putin’s vainglorious diktats. [...] The issue is whether the West wants to maintain the Rule of Law and governance of the world through international laws and agreements. [...] Alternatively, to accept the power of might, the rule of the bully and the right of the sword.