Live from Kyiv

[Gargovic Malkav]

Clearly he has a plan with all this, but again what on Earth does he think he can get out of this in the long run. Russians reputation is completely ruined in the eyes of the western world and a lot of other countries that support freedom etc.

Not sure, though I don't think he cares much about what the West thinks of him.
I've heard that NATO has an anti-Russian sentiment.
The Russian Federation is a mere shadow compared to what it was back in its Soviet days Geopolitically speaking.
This anti-Russian sentiment is very convenient for a power hungry and/or vengeful, patriotic leader to take advantage of to justify his warlike ways.
I suspect he's trying to reestablish a worthy rival superpower.

Whatever the true reason is, we'll see what happens.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I heard someone make the conjecture that Putin wishes to set his proper place in history by restoring the historic borders of the Russian Empire as they stood at the founding of the USSR, which occurred on Dec. 30, 1922...

 

[Mock Turtle]

I heard someone make the conjecture that Putin wishes to set his proper place in history by restoring the historic borders of the Russian Empire as they stood at the founding of the USSR, which occurred on Dec. 30, 1922...

Vlad the Little P**** (rather than Impaler) - that is how Putin will go down in history - and we have essentially arrived at Cold War II. And he can say goodbye to his Nobel Prize for Peace - not that he will likely bother, given his so many other awards:

List of awards, honors and titles of Vladimir Putin

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I've started thinking of him as Vlad "Ras" Putin...