I’d agree on Russia’s perceived need for geographic security. But if you look at the USSR, that was about borders that align with physical boundaries they could park relatively stationary troops in. I see that as at least one of the reasons for Putin’s attack on Ukraine - and probably why, if he’s replaced by one of the Siloviki, that person will have the same motivations.

…history has repeatedly shown that land holds little value unless the occupying power can win the hearts of the local population.

They don’t care about the Ukranian people. Turn them into Russians, kidnap their kids, force them to flee as refugees, stage another Holodomor, whatever. Their need is to get to those gaps.But look at the geography. The ‘gaps’ the Russians need to plant troops in are on the other side of the Ukranian borders, many in NATO countries.

The Russians have already demonstrated that their only use for treaties they solemnly swear to abide by is as toilet paper (recall they they’d previously signed treaties to protect Ukraine’s territorial integrity). If they conquer Ukraine, they’re not going to do that and stop. They’d be willing to sign treaties saying they would, but… toilet paper.

We can either let the Ukrainians turn Russian soldiers into sunflower fertilizer on a grand scale, make Russia incapable of reinvading - or leave the problem for our kids.

My heart goes out to Russian mobikis - particularly the ones from conquered peoples - who are being turned into fertilizer - but not nearly as much as to the Ukranian people being terrorized and killed. We need to do this.