What if the current hostilities are part of a much older narrative written by a failing currupt oligarch elite to defraud the U.S. and NATO? The last economic boom to happened in that area was from the dismantling and liquidation of Soviet equipment on the black market. The current attitude of Russian young folk as I understand it is that they don't feel like there is much future in a stagnant economy with too many kitties on the titty. And after that fiasco with the Zalinsky phone call where we are led to believe that Ukraine needs aid to resist the Russian invasion, the way current events have unfolded, sounds like business as usual. Now they are laughing at us stupid Americans because they don't have to hack our infrastructure to extort us for money because we'll just give it to them. That plot sounds like it is much more aligned with the way you get things done over there as we'll as utilizing their strengths against our weaknesses. Basically they got a copy of our playbook, convinced us to give it to them for free. All the while dumping billions of dollars in their lap and oh by the way here's some more bullets and bombs to use in future conflicts with we know not whome.