Excellent article, Kyle.

Allowing Putin to come away with any victory is a mistake. He is guaranteed to return to harm again. Putin needs to be removed from all Ukrainian territory. With continued help (and stomach) from America and the West, this looks doable without NATO getting into a direct war with Russia.

We must remind ourselves that this war is because of one man, Putin. A weakened Russia and humiliated population will NOT help the transition to a normalized country after Putin (or some other ugly figure who could surface).

As far as nuclear war? Yes, Putin's threats should be taken seriously. His threats are already a gun fired and should be met with readiness by NATO now. Particularly, any movement of nuclear arsenal would trigger interception by NATO and NOT contingent on any wait-and-see.

Putin could be offered a yacht and secure retirement by the U.S. NOW (with the agreement of Ukraine). This on condition that he ceases his war and withdraws from all of Ukraine. A magic return to normal would be too much to expect, but we may be better positioned to find that path.

We CAN hit the brakes on this, but the way you suggest leaves a situation possibly more dangerous.

Many thanks. Best to you.