Actually, that’s probably the key insight. A democratic, successful Ukraine (not a guaranteed thing at any point) would be an existential threat to the “Russian World” narrative from Moscow, and upend the regime. Even a partially successful Ukraine with working if imperfect pluralism, and regular transitions of power would probably be an profound threat, proving that other models could work.
Actually, that’s probably the key insight. A democratic, successful Ukraine (not a guaranteed thing at any point) would be an existential threat to the “Russian World” narrative from Moscow, and upend the regime. Even a partially successful Ukraine with working if imperfect pluralism, and regular transitions of power would probably be an profound threat, proving that other models could work.