Caught Putin’s speech last night live on Jazeera. As usual, very measured and concise. Very lawyerly, building a case like an opening argument.

Some key takeaways were the historical references, the lack of trust for anything the US has to say and the Kosovo incursion of NATO forces as a legal precedent.

Surreal going over to the UN Security Council meeting, chaired by Russia currently, and watching the Ukraine ambassador addressing the council, just having gotten Putin’s speech summary and Vid on his cell phone. The exchange between him and Russia’s rep Nebenzya was funny though the situation is deadly serious.

Mearsheimer Looks to be correct and Nebenzya appeared to me to sound like someone ‘who’s been led down the primrose path’.

Putins to-do list was also played out so far. I admit, I thought they would use air and artillery for the most part and would be surprised if the try and occupy the hostile regions of Ukraine. Worth listening to in full without the Langley editorializing.

My guess will the creation of a buffer state composed of Crimea, Lugansk and Donbass with whatever other eastern regions that will want to join in. The US and NATO can have at the rest of the dysfunctional remains now flooded with guns and fascist. Work for CIA MI6 and Blackwater no doubt.

Not hinted at by Putin but you have to wonder, would cracking up NATO over this Ukraine farce not be a welcome outcome. Not immediately but over time? It will surely occur to many what a hollowed out institution it has now become. A few helicopters from Italy and APC’s in Poland.

This does seem to be a turning point.