Good point David F- Kudos.

I suspect that Putin isn't alone and has allies- possibly China- possibly others. It's an interesting dynamic- if Russia and China are on the same side why is Hilary on Green Ukraine's side given she's "nominally" Socialist as is Europe. Maybe there's some "controlled opposition" in the mix- perhaps some players are playing both sides.

The timing of the invasion at the end of the northern winter suggests the option of a long campaign.

We'll probably never know what is really happening.

Dear ttbn,

One can negotiate with a mad man. If a mad man is holding people hostage police teams negotiate with him until they can get the hostages out, get the mad man to surrender or can get a good shot at him.

However, Putin is not a mad man. He is sane and has gambled that he can get Ukraine to be a satellite as Belarus already is. If his adventure proves too costly he will get out. He is sane enough not to want a nuclear exchange. At least I think he is. It will take determination and blood to make his adventure too costly.

david f,
Agree ! Putin doesn't want American/Western mentality ruin what was, can & should be the World's safety latch !

No matter what happens in Ukraine, World War 3 won't be averted unless the West stops its policy of trying to take down autocratic nations with colored revolutions.

Why should Russia want the West's imposed values?

In 2013 Russian passed a law that banned all forms of gay propaganda that are directed at children. And then in 2020, Russian voters supported a national referendum and approved a constitutional amendment which permanently defined marriage as 'a union between one man and one woman'.

It also included more than 200 constitutional amendments, and paved the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036 if he so chooses.

Who made America the worlds policeman, to take down other countries as it chooses?
The US started this when it orchestrated a coup in Ukraine in 2014 to remove the democratically elected leader Yanukovych.

Who gave America the the right to wage economic war and collective punishment on nations and its people?
Why can't it just say 'WE'RE not going to do business with you'
as opposed to, 'We're not going to let you do business at all'

It's bullying, intimidation and all the things it claims its against.
How does the world say bullying is bad, but its ok if we do it and base our policy towards other nations on it?

Western values aren't necessarily good values.
The others aren't necessarily any better either.

But I can see how the others are forced to act the way the do, because of what the West does using civil society groups to ferment discontent and cause insurrection.

[Cont.]
I think we're living in a time where it's clear to see the West is the aggressor and hostile to any and all autocratic regimes.

Why?

- It should be clear to anyone that it seeks to overthrow these nations.
The West causes death and destruction under the cover of 'democratic values' and 'the international order'.

How should one expect nuclear armed autocratic nations (such as Russia and China - members of UN security council consider this war against them and threat to their existences?
Where will this path lead us?

WWW3 is inevitable.

We could talk about state rights v's human rights.
But I don't see these leaders of ours caring about human rights when we protest things they don't like.
Then it's authoritarian rule.

The left takes in the minority votes into one collective:
gays, immigrants, environmentalists, academics and they fight against the traditional white 'male' nationalist / blue collar citizens.
(There was a time when we we're taught to support Australian first, before the policy turned into multiculturalism)
Then it imposes 'international democracy' rule by UN treaty instead of 'national democracy' where the people themselves may have actually decided their own future.

- This is the 2 horse race we call democracy.
It one where the 'HOUSE ALWAYS LOSES'

There is no democracy.
Our leaders aren't ours, they belong to international treaty.
- They're no different than managers at Woolworths -
They don't call the shots.

Am I wrong?
If I'm wrong then someone say so.

If I was Putin I'd be paranoid that someone's going
to bump me off. There's been rumours about Putin's
health for years. Surely Putin must be aware that his
life is always in danger from young ambitious apparachiks.

Time magazine provides an interesting scenario. They point out
that "Putin could have created a flourishing Russia with its
vast oil well and human talent to become a country that
Ukraine would want to be close to."

"Instead he created a country that stinks of death and murder
that Ukraine has been trying to escape from."

Time tells us that Solzhenytsen found a metaphor in the title
of one of his novels. "Cancer Ward." It means cancers want to
spread throughout Europe and beyond.

Time says that Putin's "disease" is terminal.
Ukraine is fighting to the death and choosing life.