Ukraine

Emergency workers stand amidst the rubble after a Russian attack that hit a residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 24, 2024. AP Photo/Andrii Marienko

Better than average story about the war in Ukraine:

What It Will Take to End the War in Ukraine by Conrad Black

Conrad gives us some history of Ukraine and speculates on the outcome of the current war. One item that surprised me:

Ironclad guarantees of Ukraine’s revised borders would represent three quarters of a loaf for that country and one quarter of a loaf for Russia, for whom the war is a terrible strain—Russia has taken over 600,000 casualties, and Ukraine approximately 250,000, about a quarter dead in each case, and Russia’s GDP is smaller than Canada’s.

I expected casualties to be about equal, and they may be. Estimates of casualties are big fat guesses. Western guesses are going to be slanted one way and Russian estimates are going to be slanted the other way. The Wall Street Journal [paywall] puts the total number of casualties at one million, which is in the same ball park.

I don't know about this business regarding the GDP. I think he's picking nits. The GDP of Russia and Canada are each around two trillion dollars which is less than one-tenth of USA's.