If anyone is to blame for the shooting down of a Russian warplane on the Syrian border it is Vladimir Putin. Ever since the Russian President came to power, we in the West have become used to the Russian military adopting an ever more aggressive stance towards the Nato alliance. Starting with the invasion of Georgia in 2008, which was launched in response to Tbilisi’s desire to join Nato, Russia’s military has been indulging in a clumsy attempt to intimidate Nato and its allies.
