Russia Ukraine war, page-20479

Here's William Burns more recently updated assessment of the situation: (5 weeks ago)

CIA Director William Burns, a former U.S. ambassador to Moscow who has studied Putin for years, concurred that the Russian president is "angry and frustrated" by the situation in Ukraine, and will likely step up his efforts.

"He's likely to double down and try to grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties," Burns testified. "He has no sustainable political endgame in the face of what is going to continue to be fierce resistance from Ukrainians."

"Putin has commented privately and publicly over the years that he doesn't believe Ukraine's a real country," Burns continued. "He's dead wrong about that -- real countries fight back. And that's what the Ukrainians have done quite heroically over the last 12 days."

"I think he's been unsettled by the Western reaction and allied resolve particularly some of the decisions the German government has taken. I think he's been unsettled by the performance of his own military," he said. "The big countries don't get to swallow up small countries just because they can."

He called Putin's actions in the past two weeks "premeditated and savage."

Putin 'angry and frustrated,' CIA director says, likely to 'double down' in Ukraine - ABC News (go.com)


So if Putin was merely angry and frustrated 5 weeks ago... can you imaging how flaming berserk he is now?