Putin and the story of the rat: "The annexation of Crimea and the war in Ukraine have thus helped Mr Putin to consolidate power at home. But as the economy deteriorates, he cannot afford to let go of eastern Ukraine and seems trapped by the logic of escalating conflict.
M.N.: And he (more exactly, his advisers - his ability to control them is very questionable, it is more likely that he is forced to follow them rather than to lead, which is a condition of his political survival), also try to achieve purely military goals: cementing the annexation of Crimea and preserving and fortifying the Eastern Ukrainian "platzdarm", "pyatachok", as the source of continuing instability and threat and a basis for future expansive military operations, in accordance with the old concepts and models of WW2 and Russian "partisan" resistance warfare, which correspond also and are confirmed by his frequent ideological references to the Western Ukrainian as "nazis, fascists and banderovites". Putin and the story of the rat Saturday January 31 st , 2015 at 4:50 PM Military & Defense Contributors 1 Share The Russian president is stepping up both the war in Ukraine and his confrontational