The War That Never Had To Be. Ukraine

What does Putin hope to gain by invading the Ukraine? What was Russia lacking that made Putin feel compelled to attack Ukraine? Russia is the largest country in the world. It is rich with oil and other resources. It is rich with agricultural lands. It is a vast country lacking nothing. 

It is a nation that can never be attacked again. This is not WW2. Russia is a powerful nation armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons. 

Putin is threatening to use nuclear weapons. If he is mad enough to carry out the threat, we are all doomed. 

The Russian soldiers that were marched through Chernobyl on their way to Kiev may one day realize how little regard Putin and oligarchs had for their safety by marching them through contaminated radioactive terrain on their way to wage a war that makes no sense.

No matter what grievances Russia has with NATO, with the west leaning present government of Ukraine, or anything else, nothing justifies this invasion. 

There are those on the left and right that justify Putin's war based on the U.S. setting the precedent for such actions. When did one wrong ever justify another? One wrong never justifies another. 

The George Bush and company regime change folly in Iraq led to great suffering and death. 

Does Putin and company honestly think they can invade Ukraine and not pay a heavy price? 

The longer this war goes on, the more innocent Ukrainian civilians will suffer, the more Ukrainian and Russian soldiers will die needlessly, the more people will become permanently crippled and wounded, the more misery will spread.

There is a way for Russia to save face and for the war to end immediately. 

Negotiate with Zelensky some kind of agreement regarding the neutrality of Ukraine and NATO. Sweden and Finland are not in NATO. 

And then leave the Ukraine.  Stop the fighting while the negotiations take place. Enough people have already died, enough people have already been wounded.