JUST PHILOSOPHISING ON - RUSSIA'S INVASION OF AND ATTEMPT TO SUBJUGATE UKRAINE AND ITS PEOPLE. PART 2.

 

And now, we are confronted with the phenomenon of President Putin of Russia. 

A powerful leader who has, it seems to me, metamorphosed from being a sane and competent leader with a justified and credible cause. 

Namely that of securing his country's borders and security from the Nato-posed threats. 

Into a leader struck by a pernicious psychotic episode, which has precipitating catastrophic invasion and attack on his Ukrainian neighbour. 

It is in this respect that I see the President of Russia acting out of context. 

He is acting as if he is a Medieval Potentate. A Ruler who has to be feared because he has, it seems, shed his clothing, his shield of moral, legal and empathic clothing, authority. 

Opting for the preferred, for him, status of becoming a Renegade. A 'modern day' Genghis Khan, an Attila, an Alexander the Great. 

He has unleashed a killing machine at a time of relative peace - even if we have to agree that this is something which has been largely restricted to Western Europe - even if tensions have been high for some years and months now. 

His rather unprecedented attack represents a massive challenge for current world leaders; that of how do they react or respond to President Putin's seemingly insane action? 

Do they adopt President Putin's 'total war if necessary' approach, and meet the Russian armed forces on the battle-fields, and risk a nuclear war even as they fight a conventional one? 

Or do they adopt the approach of attempting to fight back and support the Ukrainian people by adopting the approach of  'war by any means unless direct combat with Russian forces, necessary or available'?

Neither option are without profound difficulties; not least as the latter option could, if not prudently pursued, lead to the former. 

The option of making war with Russia without confronting its armed forces in direct combat, fighting them, as it were, through a kind of proxy war with the Ukrainians doing the fighting. Is clearly not the preferred one for the West and its allies.

To be continued!