The challenge of obtaining compensation Conceptual and self-interest contradictions among Ukraine’s allies Difficulties in determining compensation size and Russia’s ability to pay The need for investments in post-war development The challenge of obtaining compensation A false belief has formed in broad sections of Ukrainian society, including thanks to the so-called “positive bloggers,” that after the active phase of hostilities ends in Ukraine, a guaranteed monetary windfall awaits. And primarily, this will supposedly happen through reparations that the aggressor (Russia) is supposed to pay. First of all, it should be noted that there will definitely be no reparations. Reparations are paid by the state that declared capitulation. In our case, this is an unrealistic expectation. The victory of Ukraine in the war can be considered the liberation of all occupied territories, including Donbas and Crimea. However, although this will be a clear defeat for Russia in the war, it does not mean its capitulation. Therefore, the only thing Ukraine can count on is compensation for armed aggression, for destroyed assets, and hopefully, if it can be achieved, compensation for the loss of human capital, that is, compensation for the killings, kidnappings, injuries, and mutilations of Ukrainian citizens. But in order to receive compensation, the consent of the regime that will be in power during the post-Putin period is needed. It is probably unnecessary to explain that counting on this under Putin’s rule in the Kremlin is not advisable. Conceptual and self-interest contradictions among Ukraine’s allies Forcing the post-Putin regime to pay compensation can only be achieved through constant escalation of sanctions pressure on Russia by Ukraine’s allies. Regarding this matter, significant contradictions of both conceptual and openly self-interested nature may arise among Ukraine’s allies. Conceptual contradictions are already actively being promoted by European and American left-wing intellectuals who are fascinated by Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Turgenev, or Russia as a state that opposes US hegemony. They put forward the idea that although the aggression against Ukraine is wrong, the blame lies not only with the immediate aggressor but also with the US, who supposedly sought to secure its hegemony on Russia’s borders. And Russia simply could not agree to that. Therefore, it was “forced” to initiate aggression against Ukraine to prevent this. See also: Who will rebuild Ukraine? What does the arrival of the world’s largest investor mean? Furthermore, in their...