No consultation: Putin’s solo path to war
As the invasion of Ukraine grinds into its second week, many in Russia’s political and foreign-policy elites are scratching their heads over why President Vladimir Putin suddenly decided to abandon a tough diplomatic poker game with the West over NATO expansion – in which he held many cards – and veer into the uncharted territory of war and national isolation.
It may not be the first time a big power has launched an unprovoked attack on another country on false pretenses. But it’s remarkable that Mr. Putin appears to have consulted with almost no one before taking that fateful decision, leaving much of his own policy elite feeling blindsided. And how Russia’s government system, which does have at least some constitutional checks and balances, got to this point, where it appears
