Exactly - Russia is not going to be deterred by weak men from achieving its interests.
Having secured Crimea, Moscow opened the door for secessionists to carve up the rest of Ukraine. And the helplessness of the Kiev regime makes their job all that much easier.
Putin doesn’t have to risk outright war to dismember Ukraine. The playbook he appears to be executing appears to leave the West with no clear way to stop him. He knows it and they know it in the Western chancelleries.
Putin holds all the cards.
Just like we did Yugoslavia when Russia was too weak to do anything about it.
They haven't forgotten.
Yup. So here’s a likely scenario if he indeed has intentions beyond Crimea.
He restarts nuke tests. Liberals have fits. He ramps up tests. Liberals start making deals and giving away whole countries in the Chamberlin style. He ignores them and plays musical chairs with his troops. Libs go to him begging for peace.
He gets all he wants and never fires a shot. And the above is not hard to imagine with America weakened from within and the EU run by likehearted cowards.