That’s why Putin ultimately has to make a play for Central Asia.
Putin lost Central Asia while he was distracted with Ukraine.
He’s not a genius. He’s a loser. He’s not going to conquer Central Asia anymore than he is about to conquer Mongolia, Korea, or Japan. He’s not even going to conquer Eastern Ukraine either. He can barely hold onto Donetsk. What good is Donetsk anyway when all of its people have fled the city?