Many factors in Putin’s head
There are a lot of known factors that have driven Putin’s decision to conduct a full-scale invasion of the Ukraine – and perhaps one that has not been considered up until now.
This article by historian Sir Anthony Beevor nails some of them:
In his bizarre and rambling treatise last week immediately before his declaration of war on Ukraine, Putin’s anger against Lenin was very clear. He blamed the Bolshevik leader for having introduced into the constitution of the USSR the idea that the national republics were all equal.
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The fact is that he is living in a crazed fantasy world of the imperial past when he declares ‘a hostile anti-Russia is being created in our historic lands’. In his view, no population from the old Tsarist empire has the right to follow its own path.
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Putin’s other belief, that the West was largely to blame, came from the rash ambitions of the United States, Nato and the EU in the first decade of the millennium to promote democracy everywhere. It was a dangerously naive crusade.
Then there’s this take from Condoleeza Rice (whose PhD was on the USSR):
After she had left office Condoleezza Rice recalled one of her last meetings with Vladimir Putin. He told our then Secretary of State, “You know that Russia has only been great when it was ruled by strong men. Like Alexander II, like Peter the Great.” Rice said, “I remember thinking, and then is Vladimir the Great supposed to be in that line?” She was too diplomatic to ask. But she went on, “I am sure he’s not wholly rational. He´s a megalomaniac. And you have to deal with the 5% chance that he might in fact be delusional.”
I think we’re well into that 5%.
But the following probably also factors into his mind. Watch these two clips and imagine Putin watching them.
But underlying crap like that are populations that either quietly shrug their shoulders and accept it or agree with such messages.
Also note that another of the Gigantic Democrat Brains, former Secretary of State under Obama, John Kerry raised this big concern about the Ukrainian invasion, which shows just how the West’s Climate Change policies help Russia and China (and why they’re so supportive of Western groups pushing Zero Carbon policies).
adolffinkensen
Gravedodger
Nick K
pdm1946
Psycho Milt
The Veteran
Tom Hunter
No Minister 
This article will serve as an antidote to the “Putin is crazy” nonsense being peddled by western media:
https://therealslog.com/2022/02/27/ukraine-exclusive-invasion-or-espionage-mission/
Harry
February 28, 2022 at 9:49 am
I can’t speak for others who use the term “crazy”, which speaks of a person who is crazy all the time.
On the contrary I think Putin is someone who has been quite rational and pragmatic in his aggressions over the years, but who is growing less pragmatic and rational as he ages and realises that time is running out to create his dream.
That’s not “crazy”, but it is irrational – and dangerous.
Tom Hunter
February 28, 2022 at 9:55 am
A moron in Washington, a loon in Moscow and a drip in Wellington.
adolffinkensen
February 28, 2022 at 2:40 pm
And this man purports to be an historian?
But what he shows is the vapidity of modern Western intellectuals
The borders of the Tsarist empire varied over time, of course
In 1914 Finland was part of it as was half of modern Poland and while it suits the propagandists to claim these lands are under threat we are actually talking about Ukraine
People who psycho analyze Vladimir Putin are actually projecting their own psychosis onto him IMHO
What everybody knows about the man is that he does the unexpected and in the past has achieved his goals before the talking heads have figured out what he is up to
Right now there is almost zero real news coming out of Ukraine so who knows what is actually happening
There is plenty of bloviating from the Eurocrats and Sanctioneers but SFA else
Who knows were this goes from here? Worst case scenario WW3 I guess
Andrei
February 28, 2022 at 3:51 pm
Yes, and a very good one. I suggest you start with The Spanish Civil War before moving on to his books on Stalingrad and The Downfall of Berlin – although given how successful Putin’s propaganda has been in raising Stalin’s reputation with the Russian people I doubt you’ll like the latter two.
Of course you do realise that Putin may have actually made things worse for himself and Russia? With all his projections about being threatened by NATO, thereby justifying pushing the smaller Eastern nations around, plus non-members like Sweden and Finland, as well as this latest Ukrainian invasion, he’s actually scared the living shit out of them, to the extent that after eighty years of standing aside from NATO (and being mouthy about their “independence”), both Sweden and Finland have increasingly been making noises about finally joining NATO. Right now the Baltic states are probably thinking they’re bloody glad they did decide to join.
And if a Western half of Ukraine survives this they’d be bloody mad not to try and join NATO – and now France and Germany, after two decades of rejecting the Ukraine, may actually be asking themselves how it could be worse. Putin’s going to attack anyway so….
Not to mention that he’s actually, finally lit a fire under Germany’s backside that even Trump could not achieve. France too. We’ll see if Germany gets serious again about their military spending and readiness, which have been pathetic in the last twenty years.
Thanks Vlad! If destabilising your enemies is the goal for Putin I’d say that after twenty years of doing so quite well, your boy has really fucked up on that front. Smart politics from him? Nope. He’s actually starting to look to me to be almost as dumb as Biden, just in different ways.
Tom Hunter
February 28, 2022 at 5:45 pm
I haven’t seen any of my kids in three years now
And I suspect I will never be with them again
Last Sunday was “Judgement Sunday”
At the Last Judgement all will be revealed, nothing hidden, that dread day may be closer than you think
Andrei
February 28, 2022 at 7:09 pm
Yep. As much as you and I may fight about a great many things we agree on that.
But do you really, honestly think that Vlad believes that? I’ve no doubt he believes in the Orthodox Christianity – but more as a foundation of Great Russia than anything truly Christian.
Tom Hunter
February 28, 2022 at 7:29 pm
From the archives of No Minister, Infinity War, Part 10: US – Euro Relations in Crisis:
This is why Trump was so pissed with these guys. Let’s hope that the Germans are now going to finally wake up.
Tom Hunter
February 28, 2022 at 6:31 pm
I see this as in light of Geo-Politics. Firstly the strategic vulnerability of the North European Plain, i.e. the choke point of the Caucuses to Volgograd and to the Don River. Warm water ports, and access to the Black Sea. Crimea and the Ukrainian control and embargo of the Crimean water supply. Pease remember that Khrushchev was a Ukrainian, and Crimea was a Tartar homeland, with no connection to Ukraine. Wise people have talked about wars over water.
What are the percentage of ethnic Russians in Ukraine, 40%? Before 1991 did they believe that they were living in their Motherland?
The European Socialists / climate extremists have provoked and enabled Russia. Nato expansion: Ukraine was a step too far and for what goal? Any goal is not achievable without serious military investment, anathema to EU socialists. Trump’s question of why the USA is the backbone of Nato?, is a strong argument. Germany shuts down Nuclear plants, using Russian Gas as an intermediate energy supply, waiting for the great leap backwards, of relying on renewables. Yeah baby Yeah, give me Thorium and Fusion reactors. A micro reactor for every street corner.
Children die, meanwhile the gas keeps flowing, increasing Euros back to Russia. Ukraine gets its cut. I wonder if their transport fees increase in line with the price of Gas?
Sam Averill
March 1, 2022 at 12:15 am