Vladimir Putin can delay and stall and obfuscate all that he likes, but the world is not falling for it.
The Russian President has set his sights on invading Ukraine. There is no beating around that bush. He’s amassed enough troops and gear to take the tiny nation’s capital in 72 hours’ time, and intelligence agencies around the world are reporting that a number of covert plots exists within the Kremlin to manufacture some sort of justification for such action.
The situation has grown so dire that even the normally-reserved French President is flying to Moscow to have a word with Putin.
French President Emmanuel Macron flies to Moscow on Monday in bid to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to dial down tensions with Ukraine, where Western powers fear the Kremlin plans an invasion.
Moscow gave the visit a guarded welcome, saying it would listen to Macron’s ideas, but played down expectations of a breakthrough.
Russia has deployed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders. It denies planning an invasion, but says it could take unspecified military measures if its demands are not met, including a promise by NATO never to admit Kyiv.
Moscow has been repeatedly warned by the rest of the world that any action taken against Ukraine will result in swift and severe reactions from NATO, the G-7, and The United States.
Putin, as per the usual, doesn’t seem to care.
