[GonzoGOP]

It is possible that he is hoping to combine a foreign policy crisis with Turkey's oncoming economic crisis in order to blame the latter on the former.

This is why he has to move against Cyprus. Only by looting the Cypriot gas fields can he hope to pay off the debts in the Turkish economy. He doesn't have the firepower to go after Israel one on one. So he figured the Greeks, being on the verge of complete collapse, would be an easy mark. But the Russians have come in on the Greek side, and unlike NATO they are not toothless. Not because they have more or better weapons, but because unlike Western leaders Putin is willing to use what weapons he has.

[Former Proud Canadian]

Has is come to this? Russia defending Cyprus, and by proxy Greece AND Israel. While a putative NATO member, a moslem state, threatens them. The world has truly turned upside down.

We actually should have seen this coming. In the Balkan war Russia backed Serbia, a Christian nation, while the west backed a nacsent moslem state in Europe.

Putin is an odious character. Are we going to have to start rooting for him?

[PapaBear3625]

This is why he has to move against Cyprus. Only by looting the Cypriot gas fields can he hope to pay off the debts in the Turkish economy.

This is similar to why Hitler invaded France. He HAD to, because conquering and looting France and the rest of Europe was the only way to keep the National Socialist German economy from collapsing.

We are at a dangerous stage where Turkey, Pakistan, and others will only be able to keep their people happy by finding some external entity to loot.