Whenever the news shows the map of Ukraine, I shake my head in disbelief.

[Buckeyeblue]

5. Putin wanted Ukraine in tact so it would still be functional

I'm going to guess that his bad intelligence told him the Ukrainians would not put up a fight. So he walked into Ukraine with a display of force, a force not really prepared for battle. And the Ukraine fought back and the western world united behind them.

I think in a different scenario, Putin bombs Ukraine back to the stone ages and then walks in to pick up the pieces.

But I don't think he can shift to that strategy with 200K troops already on the ground (and depleted) and on their heels.

I think either Russian intelligence sucks or someone (or a group) double crossed Putin.

The question is how do we let Putin back out with some shred of dignity? Or is it too late for that? Seems like the only way this ends is with Putin no longer the head of the crime family.