Putin must realize by now he cannot win in the long term, which worries me.

[fightforfreedom]

Even if Putin takes over Ukraine the body bags of his soldiers will still arrive back home to Russia for years to come. The people of Russia will notice.

Pretty much the whole world has turned against Putin. The sanctions over time will hurt the Russian economy. The people of Russia will notice. Over time Russia will become more and more isolated. Some of the rich and powerful people in Russia could turn against Putin.

Over time the Russian people will protest more and more about the take over of Ukraine, which will become a direct threat to Putin at home.

Putin must know this and yet he continues on, he keeps on escalating the situation. This worries me because it is irrational. The act of a person who may have gone mad.

[Happy Hoosier]

1. It's a tough spot

My hope is that there are cooler heads in Russia that will not permit such dangerous escalation. Many would probably convinced that they would control Ukraine by now and like Crimea have to be accepted by the West as a fait accompli. THen just ride out the sanctions for a year or two. That failed, obviously. Now the question for them is how to get out of this without blowing the world up or be being utterly humiliated on the world stage.

[NightWatcher]

2. Its on Russians to clean house and remove him if they ever want to live in any type of comfort.

If this escalates they will be cut off and turned back into standing in bread lines.

[tetedur]

3. I agree he cannot win in the long run. However they planned for bodies.

https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-using-mobile-crematoriums-in-ukraine-2015-5?op=1

Russia is using crematoriums on wheels to burn the bodies of its soldiers who die fighting alongside pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine, Bloomberg's Josh Rogin reports.
“The Russians are trying to hide their casualties by taking mobile crematoriums with them,” House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry told Rogin. “They are trying to hide not only from the world but from the Russian people their involvement.”

The mobile crematoriums — which burn about eight to 10 bodies a day, according to Ukraine security service chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko — reveal how far Russia is willing to go to hide its military presence in the war.

I also agree his actions are desperate. This is the moment he has chosen to no longer tolerate a country on his border where the people stood up to dictatorship and corruption and tried to make their government democratic and accountable. Does he sense that people have said no to authoritarians and the move to oust them will only get stronger?

He tried and succeeded to a point to divide the EU and the USA. He wants NATO to go away. He has only succeeded in uniting the world against him and damaging his oligarchic allies.

[fightforfreedom]

5. You can burn the bodies but people will notice when their sons don't come home.

[PatSeg]

4. Yes, people who are very familiar with Putin

say he is different these days - unhinged and erratic. That makes him possibly very dangerous, especially considering that he has been saber-rattling with nuclear weapons.