And some people wonder where Russia got its shady reputation. If I were in a position of power in Ukraine, Poland or any of the baltic countries, I'd start bulking up my army and joining NATO yesterday. And buying nukes, if at all possible.
That was a well planned play by comrade Putin and his yes-men, actually. First, dig in outside Georgia and start provoking it by supporting the rebel provinces, and disrupt Georgia itself until it moves. Second, overwhelm Georgia by sheer mass, annex the rebel provinces and force Georgia into an (lopsided) peace treaty. Finally, wipe your ass with the peace treaty, absorb Georgia, kill every Georgian still standing and laugh at the west as they shake with impotent rage.
The EU countries can't really do too much immediately, unless Africa or the US can provide them with an alternate sources of oil and natural gas. Even if they did, a large-scale mobilization would take at least a few weeks, and by then it'd be too late.
I don't know too many Russians personally, so I can't say anything about them as people. But I've personally never trusted Putin ever since he stepped into office, and pulling crap like this (alongside the lovely Checnyan picnic, his "controlled democracy" and "vanishing undesirables, part 39 070") is exactly why.
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