Maybe we should have a referendum here in Texas. Anyway, I thought Putin has expressed his desire to bring back the old Soviet borders. He seems to do what he says, not a big bluffer like POTUS. He’s testing his army and testing the West to see what we’ll do.
I agree that maybe Putin would like to have old Soviet borders, but he knows that is not possible because it is too costly to subjugate people who don’t want to be part of Russian rule. This is why I don’t even think he wants to claim Donbas region - he just wants its independence to be recognized.
“He’s testing his army and testing the West to see what we’ll do.”
According to some, his army has been decimated, his tanks destroyed, helicopters and fighters shot down. His economy is wrecked so it won’t be easy to buy new weaponry either. And he needs an army, his is about gone.
He won’t have anything left to fight with after this war.
Except nukes.