"GET RUSSIA!" IS THE CALL. BUT LOOK... IS THAT PUTIN SHRUGGING?

It's not easy to tell if Vladimir Putin is worried about the near exhaustive search to find ways to hurt Russia in the wake of its Ukraine op. If he was worried you'd never know it from looking at him. You might detect some anger, but worry? No.

Putin is a tough cookie and an expert strategist. I suspect he must have known that the western world would throw everything it had at Russia. Most of what it has done, or at least the most significant financial bombshells were telegraphed beforehand and were certainly discussed in detail within the Kremlin walls.

Once the operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine began there was no going back however. Come what may. Any going back would leave Russia in a much worse and more vulnerable position than before. Therefore it's do or die for Russia, complete the mission no matter what it takes and suffer whatever you have to to get it done. No half measures will do.

Russia is SO much stronger than she was in 2014 when the next door neighbour got thrown out and a band of Hell's Angels took over, or at least that must be something like what it felt like to Putin and many others in the Russian political and diplomatic hierarchy. Suddenly the stench of Nazi jackboots was in the air.

But patience was called for and the gritting of teeth caused by knowing the time was not right for a response, that too many weaknesses were exposed in the fabric of the Russian economy and not enough stalwart allies willing to go through thick and thin with Russia were predictably there on call. By February 2022 though, things were vastly different to how things stood in 2014. Russia was ready and would not be fazed by the reaction of a western world Putin knew would do its worst.

So, IS Putin worried? I think not. He has buckled down for a bumpy ride and buckled up for the long haul. His eyes are on the goal set and he will not flinch.

If western elites believe he will, they are most certainly making the biggest mistake of their lives.