(February 24, 2022 at 12:49 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: Two things can be true, I think. Russia has been backed into corner, and it just so happens that it's currently helmed by a man who's made it no secret whatsoever that he wishes to be remembered as the guy who reconstituted the former glory, such as it was, of the ussr.
If only one of these things were true the situatuation might not be as dire, for ukranians - for example, as it is. That they are both true is why it's come to this.
He experimented with other approaches to keep Russia from falling further into strategic irrelevance and diplomatic impotence. That included joining NATO. And it is clear that the west will not accommodate any Russia that has not been much farther weakened. So restoring some semblance of so the strategic depth seems to be his only option remaining
