That's not what they'll think. Authoritarians respect power, not conciliation. Giving them back the money tells them they're correct and encourages them to do it again.

It's a child's philosophy. If a child throws a tantrum and you say "no ice cream", you can't give them ice cream later.

[–] lemmus@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

You can give a child ice cream for good behavior.

Reconciliation cannot work if a people is humiliated (even as the result of authoritarian leaders).

I’m not at all suggesting compromise with regard to occupied territories, I’m saying that Russians have been lead to believe they have been humiliated and betrayed by the West on countless occasions, and in the case that the illegal occupation of Ukrainian territories comes to and end, and the Putin regime falls, these assets could be returned to the Russian people to help rebuild a state hollowed out by its dictatorship. The West can support Ukraine with or without these funds.

We will have to embrace a fragile Russian people post-Putin. That, or create space for his authoritarian successors.

I appreciate why I have been downvoted above, but I’m simply asking what role these assets could play if returned with conditions to a post-Putin regime. I don’t consider that acquiescence, or compromising Ukrainian sovereignty.

[–] uis@lemm.ee 0 points 6 months ago

Entire question was about time after authoritarianism