King of the North

Vladimir Putin's not so secret, secret plan to gain influence - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Over the past decade and a half, Putin has become convinced that the United States is no longer trustworthy. The rot began in 2001 with the unilateral abrogation of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty by George W. Bush, followed by the disastrous Iraqi intervention two years later that Putin insisted would be a catastrophe. The expansion of NATO, the stationing of anti-ballistic missiles in Europe and the overtures to Georgia and Ukraine to join the Atlantic alliance all convinced Putin that Russia was being physically surrounded, internationally marginalized and, worse, disrespected. The 2011 Libyan raid that catalyzed a civil war was the final straw."

Comment: It's always instructive to see the world through the eyes of another person. No two people perceive the world exactly the same way, nor do countries. In my opinion, the U.S. failed to follow Churchill's dictum (In War: Resolution, In Defeat: Defiance, In Victory: Magnanimity, In Peace: Good Will) after winning the Cold War. A little magnanimity and good will would have gone a long way. It's not too late, of course, but relations can never be repaired if fault is not acknowledged.