I agree, it doesn't make a lot of sense. I think maybe this is a 69 year old man that has been indocrinated since birth to support Mother Russia and the Soviet cause that now sees an opportunity to create a legacy. He knows that nobody is putting troops on the ground and that if he swiftly takes Ukrainian land, everyone will settle down and let him as the consequences are not worth it for most. The trouble is that this type of incursion and insult should really be challenged at every level, that's the right and moral thing to do, but to do it risks serious loss of life, global instability and lengthy fighting.
The power here lies with the Russian people. They can - and they seem to be - express real opposition to this. The risk to them is massive, Russia just rounds people up and sends them to Siberia, so the opposition on the ground should be supported and respected.
No normal person can really apply logic and understand what drives these sorts of people. The wealth, the power, the recognition has all been there for decades, why do they want more?
I hope that it is over swiftly, that stalemate wins, as it that that allows for calm.
One eye on China here too, they've been after Taiwan and HK for ages and while focus is on one thing, they might well try a push. Slight of hand. The greatest thing Kaiser Sozee ever did was to convince the world he didn't exist.
