Foxy_Dread we have conducted wars and fucked over sovereign nations for the benefit of the west and oil corporations before.
What if Putin is in the fold (with the west's neo liberal leaders) and this conflict was contrived with all parties blessing with two goals. One to boost the oil industry when under attack on climate. Two to weaken the EU, the only super power/bloc, that nods it's head to the idea of social democracy, and minimum standards on all important areas of modern life
The protracted, here to stay nature of the conflict would support this.
These are strange times and the people with their hands on the wheels in the neo liberal west are the ones with most to lose. Could the conflict be playing out for them any better than it is?
Just putting the idea out there.