Old article still relevant.

"Even if Ukraine ends up fractured, under a US-selected military commander, permanently polluted with mines and depleted uranium dust, with a collapsed infrastructure and half of its prior population - even then, Ukraine can still be seen as an American forward base in the coming decade. It cannot be spoken - but that is the 'win' scenario for the Pentagon and US defense contractors, and it is quite achievable – and creative politicians and strategists will claim that this "successful outcome" was created for them by Russia's SMO,"