There are some images captured by camera that become iconic. They vary from the horrific (such as this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phan_Thi_Kim_Phuc) to the salacious (such as these https://www.biography.com/news/marilyn-monroe-seven-year-itch-dress-photos). Some such as HRH above fully bear out the words of Frederick R. Barnard in Printer’s Ink (December, 1921) that a “picture paints a thousand words.”
Doctor North in his blog-post today (https://www.turbulenttimes.co.uk/news/front-page/politics-managing-a-war-economy/) has used the same image to head up his text and no doubt that HRH – who is a very thoughtful man – was looking at his future and reflecting upon the world in which his kingdom and people will be existing in when those times come.
It is to be hoped that there are those in Russia who if faced with military defeat will finally be able to combine their collective forces and influence to bring about Mr Putin’s “retirement” – on the grounds of ill-health of course! – hopefully there will be – behind the scenes “contacts” between NATO and the UNO.
Hopefully a settlement will look like this:
A “cease-fire” (observed by ALL belligerent forces in Ukraine) would take place followed by a rapid withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine except the Donbas where all Ukraininan forces will withdraw from. Ukraine will formally accept and recognise Donetsk and Luhansk as independent sovereign states along with formally recognising the breakaway Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Along with this all members of NATO and all members of the EU will recognise these republics and will along with Russia support their membership applications to join the United Nations Organisation.
ALSO: ALL sanctions that had been imposed by the EU and other states (such as the UK and the USA) on Russia will be lifted and all seized assets returned to their previous holders.
IN ADDITION: NO compensation, payment or reparations of any kind will be paid by Russia to Ukraine for damage and loss incurred during the hostilities.
ALSO: NO compensation, payment or reparations of any kind will be paid by Ukraine for damage and loss sustained in the Donbas incurred during the hostilities.
FURTHERMORE: ALL costs associated with the restructuring of Ukraine will be born by the EU, the UK and the USA.
NB: So far, only Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Syria have recognised Donetsk and Luhansk – along South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
There will be many who will object demanding that this would represent a “climbdown”. Well, I reckon it is better than this:
