There is nothing more dangerous than an animal — even one of the human variety — that is cornered and out of options. And with his war against Ukraine in its fifth year, his economy bottoming out, NATO and the European Union standing up to him, and his own people catching onto the fact that he is something less than superhuman, Vladimir Putin is showing distinct signs of exactly that kind of desperation.

He has also been struggling to maintain a measure of control over a number of former Soviet republics. The Baltic states — Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia — are fiercely independent, having gained membership in both NATO and the EU in 2004. Strategically-located Moldova has more recently become a candidate for EU membership. And now Armenia — long considered to be under Russian security protection — has begun turning Westward, deepening its ties with Europe and the U.S. while noticeably reducing its dependence on Moscow . . . the final straw apparently having been Russia’s failure to assist Armenia in maintaining its control in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

So, Putin being Putin, he has been issuing threats that he may not actually be in a position to carry out. In a statement glaringly reminiscent of his rhetoric prior to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, he recently warned Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that they could face a “Ukrainian scenario” if they continued to pursue stronger ties with Europe, and spoke of a potential split:

“In my opinion, it would be right, both in relation to the population, the citizens of Armenia, and in relation to us, as the main economic partner, to decide as early as possible, for example, by holding a referendum. Accordingly, we would draw the appropriate conclusions and follow the path of a soft, intelligent and mutually beneficial divorce.”

– Vladimir Putin, May 10, 2026 Press Briefing

And we all know what a Putin-esque “Ukrainian scenario” looks like.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/31/26