In response to an FT article by Philip Stephens on 12th February 2015, entitled 'Guns are only half an answer for Ukraine'
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/743be6c8-b1fe-11e4-b380-00144feab7de.html#ixzz3RZokiKE7
"Mr Putin's aim is to disarm the west"
Do you really think he is so utterly stupid that he doesn't know that his actions will encourage the chest beaters in Washington to clamour for his blood? Do you think he believes that the Pentagon will discover tree hugging or that the arms industry will decide to retool and go into renewable energy?
Such ridiculous demonisation of 'the enemy' does nothing to understand or deal with a real threat, let alone avoid escalation into a global war.
He may be be all sorts of things he is accused of, and he would definitely not be on my list to look after my grandson for a couple of hours, but an idiot? Not so much.
Personally I think his aim is to prevent another NATO base on his doorstep, to regain Russia's position as a major player in the world, and to make sure that he doesn't become the latest in a long line of US inspired regime changes.
I think you are probably one of the folks who wants that regime change to happen, and maybe you think that 'the west' can pull it off. But I don't think you have got the foggiest idea what sort of man you are dealing with, let alone what he wants.