The most pointless war in history?

Wednesday blog

Here’s a map of the world:

As you can see, Russia is rather big. The total surface area of Russia is 17.1 million square km. The whole of Europe is just 10.53 million square km. And Britain is a tiddly 243,610 square km. Ukraine, which Russia wants to conquer, is only 603,628 square km. And Russia has sacrificed probably around one million dead and wounded to take just 20% of Ukraine – about 120,000 square km. So, one million casualties to increase Russian territory by an almost infintessimal 0.6%.

Not only is Russia huge, but it is also underpopulated. Russia’s population is around 8.4 people per square km. In the EU it is over 100 people per square km, in Britain 280 people per square km and in Ukraine – about 75 people per square km. And, of course, the population of Russia is falling. The country’s fertility rate is less than 1.5 children per woman — which is far less than the 2.1 births per woman that’s needed to simply maintain a nation’s population.

The last thing Russia needs is more land. Yet Putin launched his pointless war and is now forced to continue it to save face and save his own skin.

Surely this must be one of the most pointless wars in history?