Following your line of thought re „nonsensical logic“, a sixth non-believable thing comes to my mind: While Putin cannot imagine to lose against Ukraine - a non-country in his view, not a player in his league - and, on the other hand, knowing that he can’t win anymore, he starts “designing” an environment (e.g. pipeline attacks) in which he lures NATO into a more direct confrontation (kinetic or gray zones), in which after credible threats from NATO he can acknowledge defeat (a great power against a greater power) in the best interest of the future of mankind, an “honorable” defeat, so to speak, a way out that Russian elites can live with and that guarantees his “honorable” survival for sometime.
Excellent reading. Thank you 👍
Following your line of thought re „nonsensical logic“, a sixth non-believable thing comes to my mind: While Putin cannot imagine to lose against Ukraine - a non-country in his view, not a player in his league - and, on the other hand, knowing that he can’t win anymore, he starts “designing” an environment (e.g. pipeline attacks) in which he lures NATO into a more direct confrontation (kinetic or gray zones), in which after credible threats from NATO he can acknowledge defeat (a great power against a greater power) in the best interest of the future of mankind, an “honorable” defeat, so to speak, a way out that Russian elites can live with and that guarantees his “honorable” survival for sometime.