So what is happening now is that the autocrat presiding over a failing economy, wanting to secure his grip on his country, is doing a classic “Wag the Dog”. And in the process causing immense human suffering and loss of life, while aiming to destroy a democratic nation.
But Putin must have thought through what will happen when Europe no longer buys his country’s natural gas. Who will he sell to? The answer is pretty clear, and I am frightened by the thought that this may have all been worked out beforehand.
Who most stands to gain from establishing a precedent of a large autocratic country getting away with invading a smaller democracy next door? Who most stands to gain from wresting economic power from the NATO countries?