MASTERS OF DECEPTION
Precisely, Joe.
Putin rose to the top of the KGB, and then to the Presidency, on his evil brilliance & treachery, while projecting a calm, reasonable, non-threatening demeanor all the while.
He's rebuilding several of the Tsar's palaces at costs of a billion+, while citizens starve. Sound familiar? All this with his height factored in, and an acute Napoleonic Syndrome is in full bloom!
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Also, our Iraq action gives them a chance to paint themselves as a "peaceful nation" versus a "warmongering" USA.
Russia is still a dangerous, ruthless adversary continuously fighting for continued influence in world affairs.