Only two outcomes are possible in Vladimir Putin's Ukraine War: genocide or defeat.

There are two possible outcomes to the Vladimir Putin-led war in Ukraine: genocide or defeat. If Putin can successfully conquer and annex all of Ukraine, then he will have committed genocide against the Ukrainian people. If Putin is unable to conquer and annex all of Ukraine, then he will ultimately be defeated, leading to a possible victory by the West over Russia. In either case, Putin's war in Ukraine will have resulted in massive loss of life and devastation. For the Ukrainian people, the outcome of Putin's war is bleak. They face the potential for genocide or defeat, and their defeating maybe insult to injury given the long history of Russian aggression against Ukraine. For Putin, the war in Ukraine is a gamble with high stakes: if he fails, he may be seen as a cruel dictator, while if he succeeds, he may be seen as a victorious hero. However, the risks of Putin's war are high and it is unlikely to achieve any clear objectives. The Thinner of Putin's war in Ukraine may be Russia itself, as it strengthens its position in the region and potentially increases its influence over Ukraine.

Most sane outside observers would find Putin's war goals in Ukraine alarming, but they make perfect sense when viewed through the lens of his destructive worldview.

Putin has been driven by strong anger about Russia's post-Soviet fall and a burning desire to restore the country's superpower position throughout his presidency. He embraces classic Russian nationalism and dreams of reconstructing the despotic empire of the Czars, rather than seeking to recreate the USSR.

Years of persistent Kremlin propaganda aimed to dehumanize Ukrainians have accompanied Putin's attacks on the country. Since 2014, Russian television viewers have been spoon-fed a daily diet of horrific lies portraying Ukrainians as modern-day Nazis. Millions of Russians have gladly embraced the dark imaginations of a fascist Ukraine, despite the obvious ridiculousness of leveling such accusations against a country with a popularly elected Jewish president and far-right parties frequently failing to obtain 1% of the vote.

This poisonous propaganda has helped to set the path for the current war crimes in Ukraine. The Russian peophavehas have been conditioned to perceive Ukraine as an integral part of Russia, and those Ukrainians who disagree as traitors.

Unsurprisingly, this constant deception has warped Russian perceptions toward Ukrainians, leading many to believe that their neighbors deserved the disaster that has befallen them. Indeed, every piece of evidence points to widespread public support in Russia for an invasion that has startled and dismayed audiences around the world.

The atrocities committed against mankind in the first month of Russia's invasion are only the beginning. Putin has prepared the stage for an annihilation war by delegitimizing the Ukrainian state and demeaning Ukrainians. The carpet bombing of Ukrainian towns and cities has already killed thousands of civilians. In what appears to be a Russian maximizemaximizee civilian losses, residential buildings, schools, hospitals, and makeshift bomb shelters have all been purposefully targeted.

Civilians fleeing bombardment in besieged communities have reportedly been made to walk through filtration camps aimed to identify anyone with pro-Ukrainian inclinations on the front lines of the conflict. This may well encompass many millions of Ukrainians in a country where patriotic feelings are at all-time highs. Details of the mass deportation of Ukrainian residents to Russia are also emerging.

Atrocities will only increase as the war continuen. Russian troops who have been conditioned to see Ukrainians as less than human and radicalized by the deaths of comrades will become increasingly unable to distinguish between civilians and enemy combatants, while Ukraine's refusal to surrender and continued resistance will be used to justify heinous retaliation. There are all of the necessary components in place.