Hi Dick,

Thanks for your response. I'm glad you liked it!

I think one thing we love to do over here is ascribe motives to Putin's actions that fit our own sensibilities and experiences. The fact is we just don't know why Putin did what he did. I would doubt if there were more than 2 or 3 people who know the real reasons. I don't believe any of his rhetoric; I think it's always aimed for one audience or another, and as such perhaps we will never know for sure why he did he did.

But he did do it. And many people are dying because of it. I think, as you say, and I detailed in this piece, he didn't anticipate such a unified response from the West, but once he plumped for it, he couldn't go back.

Peter Stolypin, the pre-revolutionary politician, said ,"In Russia nothing is more dangerous than the appearance of weakness." And I think that remains so today; so once Putin had made the decision he couldn't back down, and the longer the war goes on the weaker he would seem to be if he then said, "Oops! Sorry guys! I made a mistake!"

The outcome of the war may well be an existential reality for Putin and I think the isolation he imposed himself during Covid may well have had some sort impact on Putin's state of mind and his grip on the facts, maybe even on reality itself. But it's also true to say the dictators in general become less trusting of their 'advisors' and more incoherent, radical and wayward the longer their rule goes on.

How it will all end, I don't know, but I do know we cannot allow Putin to win. And that's the only end game there is for the West, and for Europe more specifically.

Have a good weekend.