You're Russian. Anything short of a Gulag looks like good handling to you HAHA! What's happening is sickening. However, it wasn't Putin's intention. I believe everyone agrees he genuinely thought it would be over in a week. Everyone did. Even the U.S. said it wouldn't intervene.

Now he's stuck. He's 70 years old. We should just give him Crimea and let him fade away, which he would if the war ended today.

You work in finance, right? Why don't people get out of bad investments? Because to do so they must recognize their failure. They must accept feeling stupid. It's human nature. No matter how much you console them that mistakes happen, it's not their fault, it's easier for them, psychologically, to do nothing than do something better.

I don't believe U.S. policy will ultimately win over Russian moderates. Russians struggling with their bad investment. But like you I am hopeful.