This whole thing could quickly spin out of control and get far more catastrophic than it already is.

Former Soviet Union satellite state Slovakia — as part of now-defunct Czechoslovakia — is urgently sending millions of dollars worth of aircraft fuel and artillery ammunition to embattled Ukraine, as Vladimir Putin’s ruthless Russian Army continues to indiscriminately pound Kyiv, the brave nation’s capital.

As reported by Reuters on Saturday, Slovakian Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad confirmed artillery and fuel worth $12.39 million will be sent. The initial shipment includes 12,000 rounds of 120-millimeter caliber ammunition, 10 million liters (2.64 million US gallons) of diesel fuel, and 2.4 million liters of aircraft fuel.

Let’s step back a minute and consider the strategic importance of Slovakia—and potential danger—in the mind of the obviously mad, little dictator in the Kremlin. On January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia separated peacefully into two new countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The United States and Slovakia have since developed strong diplomatic ties, and cooperate in military and law enforcement areas. Slovakia has been a close North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally since it joined the Alliance in 2004. The two countries have a mutual commitment to freedom and human rights.

It doesn’t take a geopolitical genius to connect the above dots. If Putin were to attack Slovakia, which is bounded on the northwest by the Czech Republic, on the north by Poland, on the east by Ukraine, on the south by Hungary, and on the southwest by Austria, all current Western bets would be off the table.

It takes zero stretch of one’s imagination to suggest the U.S. might get directly involved militarily if Putin again miscalculates and becomes even more insane. Then again, given Putin’s degree of paranoia – yes, naysayers, the former KGB agent is not only paranoid as hell about the West; he is paranoid about democracy springing up in former Soviet puppet states – all of those bets would be on the table indeed.

Elsewhere, as reported by Politico on Saturday, Germany has authorized the Netherlands to send Ukraine 400 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, according to two European Union (EU) officials. If true, this marks an abrupt shift in Berlin’s military policy amid growing pressure from EU and NATO allies.

Additional updated news, via Politico:

Poland started sending ammunition by land, while Estonia and Latvia on Friday said they were beginning to truck fuel, Javelin anti-armor weapons and medical supplies to the Ukraine border for hand-off to Ukrainian forces. Elsewhere, the Czech Republic said it would send guns and ammunition. […]

The Netherlands said it will send 200 Stinger anti-aircraft defense systems to Ukraine — often the top-requested type of military aid among Ukrainian soldiers and officials (apart from Western powers sending their own planes and forces to fight alongside Ukraine). And Belgium announced it would supply Ukraine with 2,000 machine guns and 3,800 tonnes of fuel.

[Additionally], the United States on Saturday also upped its ongoing military assistance to Ukraine, authorizing up to $350 million to help bolster Ukraine’s defenses, funding that will include “further lethal defensive assistance.”

Again, the question. Will the above “cohesiveness” set Putin back on his communist heels and force him to rethink his miscalculations, or will it hasten a much larger European war and ultimately suck in the United States—with which the world became all too familiar twice in the 20th Century?

Irrespective of the overabundance of know-it-all keyboard warriors, both writers and readers, many of whom appear to have an uncanny ability to continually inform the rest of us about exactly what is going to happen next [sarc], it is impossible to tell, at this point. There are too many potentially-moving parts that have not yet moved—and ultimately might or might not. 

What is not impossible to determine is the reality of an egomaniacal dictator with grand visions of the good old, glory days of the Soviet Union tormenting his mind, stewing in the Kremlin, while an addled career politician with zero resolve—and even less integrity—and an uncanny ability to do exactly the wrong thing for America at exactly the worst time, sits cluelessly behind the occupied Resolute Desk in the occupied Oval Office in the occupied White House.

Hell, what could possibly go wrong?