Scott: If you follow Nedin Brezinski on Medium, she has stated some shuttle diplomacy has been going on for several months between Russia and Ukraine. For whatever reason, the mainstream media is not reporting on this behind-the-scenes stuff.

My feeling is that she is fairly on the mark as to what is happening. Russia wants Crimea, Donesk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhiza. Ukraine wants the 1991 borders. Until one side gives in, the war will continue.

I believe the Ukrainians are right that surrendering the four provinces would only delay the eventual takeover of the rest of Ukraine. The instinct to dominate is so strong in Russian psychology.

I also believe that had the Russian military been as strong as everyone thought, it would have invaded the Baltic countries, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. These countries are part of the Russian psychology.

Having said that, the instinct to dominate is also part of western psychology. We are just more sneaky about it, using the IMF as a tool to have our hegemony. When and how the dust settles in Ukraine, the IMF will be the financial help for Ukraine — and there will be western people and Ukrainian kleptocrats ready to earn immense profits from this “takeover.”

Despite the IMF failures, western government still cannot reign in the neoliberal economists. Another reason to change out our democracy.