The analogy to Nazi Germany is shopworn and flawed. WW II proved that a country however powerful , resourceful and committed as Germany cannot be successful in a war of conquest against most of the World. Today’s Russia is a not even compatible to 1939 Germany and is not a threat to start and win even a large regional war. These are border disputes involving lands that were once a historic part of Russia or have a large Russian oriented population. These borders have constantly shifted throughout recorded history. Putin came as a necessary organizing leader after the Communist tragedy and the ruin it left Russia. Russia will continue to evolve. It can be rightly said that former KGB officer Putin is more committed to capitalism and is a greater nationalist than Obama, the ostensible leader of the “Free World”. The tragedy is that Russians and Ukrainians are killing each other and are not focusing their full attention on their common long term jihadist enemy.
I agree. The Islamist threat is much more serious & global than Putin’s Russia. The entire M.E. for starters continues to be in turmoil. We’ve certainly facilitated Islamists’ takeover in that region since at least 2009.