Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an early warning to foreign powers at the outset of his invasion of Ukraine: Russia’s considerable nuclear arsenal was ready to deliver a crushing blow against anyone who would meddle in Moscow’s attempt to bring Kyiv back into its sphere of influence.
While not dismissive, US defense officials are not currently concerned that these threats are anything more than Russian bluster. The greater concern isn’t the strength of Russia’s nuclear arsenal, but rather Russian weakness.
Russian conventional military has severely underperformed Western, and Russian, expectations. Russian national security prerogatives means Moscow needs to push west, into NATO territories, to secure land invasion routes into the Russian heartland. If Russia has had this much trouble fighting a conventional war with Ukraine, it has no hope of fighting a conventional (read: non nuclear) war against NATO. But that doesn’t mean that a conflict is off the table…
Here at Zeihan On Geopolitics we select a single charity to sponsor. We have two criteria:
First, we look across the world and use our skill sets to identify where the needs are most acute. Second, we look for an institution with preexisting networks for both materials gathering and aid distribution. That way we know every cent of our donation is not simply going directly to where help is needed most, but our donations serve as a force multiplier for a system already in existence. Then we give what we can.
Today, our chosen charity is a group called Medshare, which provides emergency medical services to communities in need, with a very heavy emphasis on locations facing acute crises. Medshare operates right in the thick of it. Until future notice, every cent we earn from every book we sell in every format through every retailer is going to Medshare’s Ukraine fund.
And then there’s you.
Our newsletters and videologues are not only free, they will always be free. We also will never share your contact information with anyone. All we ask is that if you find one of our releases in any way useful, that you make a donation to Medshare. Over one third of Ukraine’s pre-war population has either been forced from their homes, kidnapped and shipped to Russia, or is trying to survive in occupied lands. This is our way to help who we can. Please, join us.
