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Notes -
I seriously doubt Russia could pull off hydraulic despotism. They'd be cutting themselves off from their own customers.
And after the bombing of Nord Stream pipelines I think it is clear they won't be squeezing Europe this one way. This isn't some weird hypothetical I'm making up, we've already seen an example. The pipelines are inherently vulnerable and too many interested parties get a veto by bombing the pipelines.
I keep comparing them to Italy to say they are equivalent to a small portion of Europe. This talk of small GDP Russia dominating vastly larger in GDP and population Europe is quite the uphill battle.
I'm trying to fairly consider Russia's ability to dominate Europe if the US became isolationist. The prospect is more silly than plausible.
Well, sure, but isn't this old timey war of conquest on Russia's part a scheme to add Ukraine's economy and population to its balance sheet? A disinterested, Trump-led US makes Ukraine and the rest of the Eastern bloc sitting ducks and their aggregate could form a threat to Western Europe.
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