Russia does seem like it fears being ignored more than it fears foreign threats. Otherwise it wouldn't create foreign threats out of states--once in fear of the USSR--happy to ignore and leave Russia alone.
Russia's foreign minister, Lavrov:
We do not want wars, but we will not allow our interests to be rudely attacked, we will not allow our interests to be ignored.
That's not crazy at all!
It is unfortunate that a country's self esteem issue becomes a European war crisis. The Russians truly fear being ignored:
The West would have been happy to ignore Russia and go on with our lives if Putin hadn't revived conflict in Europe.
And I suppose that is what really bothers Putin. He'd rather be feared than ignored. And if we hate him too? Well that's bonus ego stroking from his crazy train point of view.
Is Europe about to find its pet bunny boiling on the stove?
Honestly, this level of crisis that Putin is stoking might just provoke enough powerful and ordinary Russians to wonder if Putin himself is the foreign plot to destroy Russia. Could Putin end up hanging from a lamp post by his heels before this is over?
I really feel sorry for Russians.
How many Russians want to be in the history book footnote describing how many Russians died during Putin's quest in Ukraine to earn that "the Great" modifier?
#WhyRussiaCan'tHaveNiceThings
UPDATE: Legacy building:
“If we have war with Ukraine and fratricidal death, then that will be all that [Putin] will be remembered for,” Remchukov, the [Moscow] newspaper editor, said. “He can’t not understand what a sin that would be.”
