The headlines tell us Putin is startled by the protests in his own country. Yet he thinks Ukrainians are ripe for rebellion against their own government.
He’s surprised at Ukraine’s resistance and the size and number of his own population’s protests, but he still doesn't get it. His surprise is the natural result of a distorted personal view of reality.
Many Russian families have close relatives in Ukraine. Worse, Russian military recruitment has been threatening and beating men to join.
His power structure is fragile.
They're narcissists who bow to him only for their own selfish reasons. It's becoming clear to them that his delusions of czarist grandeur are what's really on his front burner.
They know he's putting their selfish reasons for supporting him on the back burner. He's sacrificing them and their country for his deluded, personal, yet very public dreams.
His power structure also realizes that the popular political situation matters. Putin is no longer playing his people the way he has been. Many more are onto him now and willing to show it, never mind the huge risks of doing so!
His sycophantic "friends" know this. They can't withdraw their support one by one without Putin knocking them off one by one. They also know that!
I strongly suspect key people are already talking behind closed doors. I would be very surprised if this is not true, considering the situation.
He's asking the Ukrainian military to rebel against their “neo-Nazi government”. This is what, in fact, just might happen to HIM!
He should be worried that his own military might turn against him. His own power structure is now realizing he's nuts, including top leaders in his military.
If he’s got even a little sense left, he’s going to start realizing what deep doo-doo he's drowning himself in within a couple of days or so. If there’s an attempt against him, he may manage to survive and take a few heads off, but that won't last.
If that indeed does happen, he's going to be one scared little dude for the rest of his very likely short days.