Tonight, it looks like Putin wants to recognise the territories he occupies in eastern Ukraine as separate states. In doing so, he is destroying the Minsk Agreement. That can't help him, can it? Or is he running out of patience in his sick game?
Once again, it looks like a political leader who does not play by the rules and who cannot be removed by an election ends up making overconfident and (possibly very) damaging decisions for his country. Is Russia to remain the blunt iron cudgel of Europe forever? Putin is forcing Russia to remain in the crude Cold War state of mind, if not more "historic". How bizarre and ridiculous his meeting with his "security advisors" looked today. And afterwards Putin climbs into the Tsar's sleigh, lets himself be pulled by horses over the snowy expanses to Kiev to witness a medieval city siege.