God may be looking at the modern world and saying that He doesn’t really have a dog in the hunt any more. The four main forces in the world are different shades of ungodly — the largely atheist and politically correct west, the demonic creations of Islam, the sinister unrenounced communism of Putin, and the non-spiritual monolith of China.
There may be a few smaller countries that resonate better with God’s true identity and purpose, and a remnant of the faithful in the west and in Israel.
As to Putin claiming the moral high ground, I suspect that much of this is for strategic purposes and not a deeply felt personal set of values at all. If it advanced his agenda to embrace the rainbow and start sending Christians to the gulag, he would no doubt turn that way. The only god that Putin serves is Putin.
Eyewitnesses and volunteers helping homeless children in Crimea said that invading Russian troops moved into orphanages.
When the Jews turned their back on Him and he eventually sold them into captivity, Babylon: a pagan nation God decided to use their Kings as his own personal puppets. There were very evil kings sometimes doing good and I think they had no idea why.
I don’t believe Putin is good or, the chi-coms, or the EU, and not even the US. We have turned our back just as the Israelites did, and worshiped false Gods of gold and silver and wood and stone and built alters and sacrificed children in the fire. We deserve judgement as much as anyone, unless we repent. But who knows, God may use wicked men to bring about his wrath on evil in order to bring about good.
Maybe Putin will cure the world of it’s Muslim problem? Maybe Muslims will cure the US of its Washington DC problem?
Maybe the Chinese will cure Europe of its Godlessness?
No one knows what will happen, but one thing is certain, the wicked will be punished.