Russia

In unleashing this war on Thursday morning, President Putin assured Russians it was going to be a short war, even though he knows very well this is not going to be the case, and that the cost for Russia is going to be enormous. Whether the Russian people have the same single minded view of things as Putin does is another matter. Most Russians usually fall in line once the men in the Kremlin – or in this case the man in the Kremlin – have made up their mind. Putin’s Russia is no democracy, but Russians are aware of what is going on around them. One can sense a disquiet at the turn of events which augurs badly for Mr Putin. A long protracted conflict will severely test the resilience of the current Russian leadership. Already last night, thousands took to the streets in Russian cities, to protest against the war. Many shouted, this is Putin's war, not ours.

Continuing in the cynical mode that he has been using throughout the crisis Putin claimed his plans “don’t include occupation of Ukrainian territory, we are not going to impose anything on anyone by force.” “To anyone who would consider interfering from outside: If you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history. All the relevant decisions have been taken. I hope you hear me,” he said.