Given what their country is facing it would be irresponsible of them to not capture Russian weapons if they get the opportunity, and irresponsible to not use them once they have them.
At this point I think he's hoping to negotiate his way out of this mess. Instead of controlling Ukraine he'd probably settle for an assurance of It's neutrality. Then he could tell his propaganda organs to announce that he had rooted out the fascists from the Ukrainian government and declare mission accomplished.
That's pretty funny.
. Don't say I didn't tell you.
It also is making danger from him, not from the Ukraine, but from people inside Russia. He should fear the folks from FSB
are as stupid as our Trumpists. They belive Putin's propaganda just like the dom with here belive Trump.
Russia's leadership convinced themselves they could have a short victorious war.
I’m not entirely convinced that is true. Military analysts assumed that the scale of buildup along Ukraine’s border meant that Russia intended for this to be a lightning war. But nothing about the way this war has been conducted even implies that. Russia is playing the long game and waging a war of attrition.
I think the more relevant term is hoped, and I do think they prepared for other scenarios.
Considering that Putin is purging his inner circle (scapegoating them ), that might not be the case. If the reports that he is also replacing the staff (i.e. the staff for cleaning, the cooks, and maintance people) are correct, he is also starting to get deeply paranoid
Well, its not necessarily Putin doing the planning, his yes men just tell him what he wants to hear, and this time it seems to have backfired.
He's a former KGB agent, he's always been this paranoid.
He should be.