Si vis pacem, para bellum (“if you want peace, prepare for war”) —General Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus (Gill, 2019)

Sometimes, one team excels for so long that it appears nobody can ever beat them. Manchester United, in English “football,” used to be invincible. But other teams studied the “Man-U'' brand and playbook, and developed competitive strategies, brought in stellar managers and hyper-talented players, and suddenly Manchester United had become a mid-table team, with Manchester City precariously on top.

For two decades, it seemed that the team with Tom Brady as quarterback would be guaranteed a Super Bowl spot (in American “football”). A new crop of players are studying to bring his reign to an end, since he seems so unwilling to retire! Unequaled success calls out unparalleled effort, and eventually the mightiest fall.

Russia has done the same thing over and over again with regard to her troublesome southern province/southern neighbor, and run her standard invasion play over many other territories as well. The question I am asking in this chapter is, has a country—Ukraine to be specific—now managed to produce a playbook that will bring about a different result?

Ukraine’s preparations for this war have been… interesting.