Putin's perspective

I believe the Russians see themselves being encircled by NATO and are reacting accordingly. They see an enclosing ring of missiles and other military hardware placed on the soil of former eastern block countries.
So, Putin and his cohorts have decided control of Ukraine represents a line in the sand because of its strategic importance in relation to access to the Black Sea.
They know full well that the West wants to install another government in Russia, friendly to western interests.
It is the old geopolitical power play that goes on endlessly. The problem for the West is that Russians like their dictators and are, by and large, quite supportive of Putin.
What troubles me is the striking similarity in the increase in tensions between the West and Russia, and what happened between the West and Germany prior to the beginning of World War II.
And where does China stand in all this? Are they going to see an opportunity and make a similar move to what Japan did in WWII?

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