Putin’s speech became raving, a screed of ahistorical grievances and delusions, the myth of Russian humiliation. The focus on NATO and the US is because big bosses need the biggest enemies and Ukraine won’t do. But Ukraine must suffer for Putin’s incompetence and viciousness.
No one should bother deciphering this garbage. Putin wants conflict because he needs conflict. He must distract from his failures in Russia, destroy any democratic model nearby. He looked around to see if anyone with the power to stop him would use it, and they all declined.
Years of Western blather about the Minsk agreements and diplomacy and Putin, as he knew he would do all along, just spat on them and said Russia is taking more Ukrainian territory by force. Let’s see the “swift and firm response” the US and allies promised.
This isn’t over. If there is no significant reaction to Putin spewing lies and threats and seizing more Ukrainian territory, he will have no reason to send his forces home. Why not take more?
I hope this speech will be evidence at Putin’s trial in The Hague some day, but that is too optimistic in a world where a dictator can simply grab a piece of Europe while his entourage still enjoy the good life in the free world.
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