VegetableMan wrote:
I see very little possibility that Russia will invade the Ukraine. Putin is flexing his muscles and trying to avoid a further expansion of NATO troops towards Russia's borders. He's a pragmatist, and is neither crazy or stupid.
The issue is not "expansion of NATO troops towards Russia' borders". What he doesnt want is nations on his border joining NATO. Not quite the same things.
But either way- he is working against himself. Intimidating a neighbor is a good way to drive his neighbors to join NATO, and it could provoke NATO to mobilize and place troops eastward. So either way he would be working against himself if either of those is the issue.