The Western media and politcians just don´t get it.
They frequently portray Putin as a Machiavellian statesman. The reality is and always has been quite different.
I lived in Moscow. Vladimir is just another street punk. There´s one on countless street corners.
Somebody put a suit on him, and off he went.
I read Niccolò Machiavelli´s "The Prince and The Discourses" three times. If anything, Putin is not only not Machiavellian, he is anti-Machaivellian.
Just one of hundreds of proofs is found in this BBC report:
"Russia does not give numbers, but Western officials say between 70,000 and 80,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded since it launched its invasion six months ago.
In order to attract fresh recruits, the authorities are offering volunteers huge sums of money, plots of land and even premium places for their children in Russian schools.
Recruiters have even been visiting Russian prisons to sign up inmates, promising them freedom and money.
Investigative journalist Roman Dobrokhotov says the recruitment drive is a sign of desperation on the part of the authorities: ´This is not the type of soldiers needed for a victorious war. The Kremlin still hopes that quantity can win over quality. That they can get these hundreds of thousands of desperate people with their debts and just throw them into the conflict zone.´"
Machiavelli hated mercenaries and railed against them time and again in "The Prince," particularly in Chapter XII:
“If one holds his state based on mercenaries, he will be neither secure nor peaceful; for they are divided, disloyal, ambitious and without discipline… have neither the fear of God nor are loyal to fellow men…”
“Mercenaries …are useless and dangerous… valiant before friends, but cowardly before enemies… in peace one is robbed by them, and in war by the enemy.…”
“The fact is, mercenaries have no other inducement or reason for keeping on the battlefield other than the small stipend you pay them. This is not sufficient to make them willing to die for you. They are ready enough to be your soldiers while you do not make war, but if war comes they either disperse or desert…”
“Mercenary captains are either capable men or they are not. If they are, you cannot trust them, because they always aspire to advance their own greatness, either by coercing you, who are their employer, or by coercing others contrary to your intentions. But if the captain is not skillful, he will ruin you by losing his battles.”
“The prince ought to personally perform the duty of captain; and the republic has to send its own citizens… experience has shown princes and republics, with their own army, make the greatest progress. Mercenaries do nothing except damage…”
For reasons too numerous to mention, given existing circumstances Machiavelli never would have attacked Ukraine. Never.
it´s as simple as that.