(VOX) As bad as the war in eastern Ukraine has already become, displacing more than a million people from their homes and costing thousands of civilians their lives, there is a possibility that it could be creating the conditions for an even worse conflict in the near future.
Eastern Ukraine is awash with weapons and armed militia groups on both sides. Right now, that situation is relatively controlled, because the groups are allied with their patrons in Moscow and Kiev, and they appear to be focused on fighting the broader war rather than trying to seize their own territory or exploit it for personal gain. But as the war goes on, or especially if it ends and those groups are left intact, that could change. If it does, then that could lead to a different kind of conflict — one that would be much more chaotic, more harmful, and more difficult to resolve.
As US policymakers consider whether to send weapons and other military aid to Ukraine, they should think carefully about whether that might escalate the conflict now — and lead to even greater chaos in the future. […]
See the full article:
Ukraine's next war: how militias and warlords could create a second, worse conflict
© VOX
