Realism seems to have fallen out of favor in the West, but it just might be ready for a brilliant return to the stage.

I'm expecting an abrupt end of the Zelensky regime in Kiev, followed by cessation of hostilities. A settlement on what is left of, and for, Ukraine, will be conducted between the two neighbors.  The people of Ukraine, and much of the world, already hold NATO and the US — incoherent cheerleaders of war, and under-impressive suppliers of weapons – responsible for starting and extending an unwinnable war, delaying and derailing peace, and permanently ruining their landscape and economy.   Because no one east or west of Washington, DC can figure out exactly who controls or speaks for the US government, Blinken, Biden and Boy Wonder Jake will not be involved or invited to the table.  Blinken will frown very, very, very seriously, Jake will try a CIA workaround (or maybe a reach-around, I won't judge), and Biden will have another bowl of ice cream.

Following this settlement between Kiev and Moscow, we will learn the real reasons for the neocon and NATO obsession with Ukraine.  Not surprisingly, they are: 1) US and NATO desire to completely control the Black Sea – even though (or perhaps because) many of their ships can't even get there without multiple maintenance stops; 2) US and EU desire to hide, and continue, their involvement in money laundering, illicit weapons and terrorism export, human smuggling, as well as the dirty money being made by western politicians and their families and companies via Ukraine; 3) Ukraine's natural resources, including underground mineral deposits, hydroelectric potential and agriculture – not for the energy, construction or food output but to better profit in the fake economy of carbon offsets, credits and green energy subsidies; and 4) to gain a new free-for-all zone for NATO exercises, weapons system testing, military airspace, and biological and nuclear research and development, far removed from regulatory restrictions and NIMBY attitudes that exist in Western Europe and the US.  Sadly, we won't find out that neoconservatives hate Russia and love snuff films, because we already knew that.