The era of Empires has been over since WW II. It has been replaced by the age of Business and Technology battles for market and mind share. It's a war for fickle, borderless entrepreneurial dominance. Check which Countries house and maintain the largest number of Global Brands and Enterprises, and you'll find who the current winners are.

Simply put, Putin chose the wrong battlefield. The battle today is not for countries or swaths of land. The battle today is for Technology, Data, The Best Algorithms, The Most Advanced Materials, Which Countries Own The Global Brands? etc.