This is the first time where I feel like Putin is lashing out without a cohesive long term strategy. Macron said that when he met him he seemed delusional and spoke about Lenin and the Cold War for 90% of the time, it was the same in his invasion speech.
I think he's feeling some internal heat because everyone knows he can't rule as a 95 year old senile grandpa but he just can't let go and wants to cement himself as some sort of a Peter the Great type figure before he retires
All autocrats become paranoid and deluded with age. The fact that he was isolating for almost 2 years due to covid probably made shit worsz.
If you think about it it’s only a loss long term for Russia.
First everyone will consider them a rogue nation which you can’t trust a word they say.
Second it will scare the shit out of neutral countries like Finland which will probably join NATO now and giving renewed purpose to an alliance that was seen as dying up to now.
Third it will give time to balts, poles and romanian to start working on countermeasures.
Like Poland recently had made a simulation where the country would fall in 2 weeks but it’s probanly 1 in reality.
Then the germans will are now forced to rearm because currently they would fall overnight. It’s just not wise to be wealthy and so poorly defended in this neighbourhood.