Weak position. Weaker opponent.
The Russian economy is taking serious hits.
Putin doesn’t care if he make his people poor. He can blame the US and his people will believe him. When have economic sanctions ever worked? North Korea? Iran?
I’m curious...I visited with a woman from the Ukraine going to school here in the US. She has parents and a sister still in the Ukraine and speaks with them by phone regularly. According to her, our news has it all wrong. The Eastern Ukrainians want to re-join Russia and have been begging Putin to come in and rescue them from a murderous Ukraine government. They all speak Russian and want to be a part of Russia, not the Ukraine. I was flabbergasted because it seemed so contrary to all we hear. Has anyone else heard such claims?
He’s seeing what the radar eared twit will do.
I wish Boehner and McConnell had half the spine Putin has.
The Soviets lost an estimated 20 million lives in World War II, roughly 10% of their population. I suspect recreating a buffer between Russia and the armies to the west is a major strategic goal. Then there's the matter of controlling the pipelines that carry oil and gas to large markets. It seems there is no shortage of long term goals available to the Russians.
If Putin was up against a master chess player, then it would be bad strategy.
When you know you are not, you can take an otherwise bad series of moves and checkmate the chump you are playing against.
Think of the times you played chess against a newbie and that’s what this is.
"Putin's Endgame: Russian PrideThat says Putin is a dangerous madman, to be leading Russia in this way.
Meanwhile, Barak Obama is still looking for his
ass with both hands and a flashlight.
Putin is playing Obama like a Pedophile with a little boy in the back of a van. However, the author has a point. Historically, Russians are not very good soldiers outside their own borders (they’re savage when you invade them). They believe the Ukraine belongs to Greater Russia, but Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland are foreign countries to them. Also, if we get a pro-American, pro-business, pro-freedom President in 2016, this could open up the American oil and gas fields and providing energy to Europe, breaking Russia’s economy.
Putin is a fish. Obama is a potzer.
Bad strategy in light of what? Economy or WWIII?
Like Obama is bad economic and vote strategy but a good one for destroying the country and totalitarianism.
I think it's bad strategy. Doesn't Putin realize that any further moves against the Ukraine will result in Obama expressing "deep concern?" Does he really want to risk that?