...we are about to see the collapse of Russia in general. I could see the Russian government eventually getting overthrown if this drags on for too long, and then who knows what could happen. Would surrounding states surge in and begin trying to claim parts of Russia for themselves?

I'm not nearly well versed enough in history and culture to understand all of the complex political workings in that part of the world, but it's definitely a big mess. It's really sad to watch unfold, and also terrifying due to the potential global implications.

As an aside, when you stop and think about the "butterfly effect" of COVID, it is pretty staggering. Let's assume for a moment that SARS-CoV-2 originated from an accidental lab leak - that tragic mistake crushed economies around the world, killed millions of people, created a mental health crisis that is killing many more, destroyed the global supply chain, and potentially impacted global politics. I don't want to steer this in a UWS direction, but I believe COVID probably impacted the U.S. presidential race, and I truly believe that Putin has timed this attack on Ukraine largely based on the weakness of the current U.S. administration. I believe nearly any other man or woman in the white house, from either party, would have provided much more deterrence for Putin to even consider what he's currently doing. I won't say any more than that....but man, COVID really fubar'ed everything.