Putin Invades

Putin made a very confused speech yesterday evening that made me rather concerned for his mental health, considering he's somebody who has got his finger on the nuclear trigger.

First off, ‘at the initiative of the Lower House of the Russian Parliament’, he is going to recognise the two break away regions of the Ukraine - the not me guv scenario. He has moved ‘peace keeping' Russian troops into these areas, according to Reuters. He has invaded Ukrainian sovereign territory, with a view to annexation.

In the next breath he de-recognises the Ukraine as ‘real’ sovereign entity - the Lenin created Ukraine scenario.

He then moved swiftly on, saying that NATO is an aggressive power that threatens Russia - The Barbarossa scenario.

Then, most bizarrely, that sanctions were designed to weaken Russia and were unjustified - "Why can’t I sell you gas and why is the customer stopping buying from us?". Then there was the usual trying to split the US and European members of NATO.

Putin has crossed the Rubicon, sanctions are too late now. He is gambling that the West will do nothing as it did over the Crimea. He is playing high stakes poker.

It would take a real Statesman to bring this to a peaceful resolution, all we have are Biden and Johnson. Resolute action would have checked this nationalist Putin in his tracks earlier.

Andrew Withers FRSA