Putin's Plan

Reboot the Soviet Union

There it is.  That's his plan.  He has correctly assessed that no one - not the US, not NATO, not the European Union - is willing to do what's necessary to stop him from re-capturing those 14 nations that broke away from the Soviet Union when the Soviet Union fell in 1991.

Put another way, his plan is to conquer 14 sovereign nations, and he is sure no one will stop him.  The worst that will happen is that there will be stern rhetoric, economic sanctions, and maybe even military training exercises in European nations and perhaps an ocean or two.  But nothing more.

How can he be so sure?

1.  Obama and his 'more flexibility one he's re-elected.'

2.  He controls the gas / oil aorta of Europe.  If Europe begins to act belligerent, he cuts off their gas. This is why your Ostrich Killer thinks that the takeovers of eastern European countries other than the Ukraine won't get into high gear until November of 2014, when the citizens of Germany and Austria and all those other eastern European  countries will need Russian oil and natural gas for home heating.  His threat: don't intervene unless you want to freeze.  Imagine what the citizens of eastern Europe will choose.

3.  The state of military readiness in those 14 countries is woeful, meaning they cannot meaningfully resist Russian invasions - meaning that the mere threat of such invasion may be enough to topple the still-emerging freedom of those countries.

4.  NATO unwillingness to expedite membership to those Europe-bordering countries that want membership - this out of concern for 'worrying' Russia.

To those Americans who don't know history, take a moment to review the legacy of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.  Yes, I know that it's futile to remind Americans, most of whom are living proof that all we really learn from history is that we don't learn from history.

In short summary, Putin knows that no one is willing to go to war over any of those 14 countries, so he can safely consider them ripe cherries for the picking.

My second cup of coffee awaits.