I like the Russians, the Russian people, Russian culture. Very many brave men and women died to stop Hitler from Russia. Their accomplishments are considerable. Russia helped save the world and has contributed a lot that has made the world a better place.

Putin is a thug. He is not Russia. Don’t forget a lot of brave critics ended up being shot to death or drinking Polonium 210 tea. He shows that you can’t beat thugs with niceness — you have to answer violence with more violence.

That being said, Putin’s play is guaranteed to make every nation around Russia with a sizeable Russsian minority do everything they can to encourage them to leave, without giving Putin an excuse to intervene. Perhaps buy-outs. It’s tragic but inevitable.