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After only a perfunctory attempt to convince his own people, Putin launched a ground war in a neighboring country.

That is a dangerous proposition for any leader, even an autocrat as entrenched as Putin. Some experts believe that Putin's regime could be damaged by high casualties or sanctions, but others think that a quick victory would solidify his legacy.

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Hundreds of protesters marched through central Moscow chanting "no to war" while hundreds more gathered in St. Petersburg despite an explicit threat of arrest from the Interior Ministry.

That is very different to the annexation of Crimea, when mass shows of support for the operation were organized by the government.

  • There was no big demand for war this time, with Putin's eyes apparently fixed on history rather than public opinion.

  • Baunov noticed the slight embarrassment of the people of Russia as they withdrew cash from ATMs on Thursday.

The majority of Russians were not expecting war on a large scale, but a majority also accepted Putin's argument that the West created the crisis, according to Denis Volkov, director of Russia's last independent pollster.

  • According to a recent poll, only 7% blamed the Russian government for the tensions over Ukraine. The belief in Western culpability among most Russians will not be affected.

  • Even as it generated a great deal of fatigue, the relentless coverage on state TV had an effect on the perception of Ukraine.

  • It will depend on how long it will be, how bloody it will be, what the response of the West will be, and whether there is some form of protest movement.

Over the past few years, most of the groups that have rallied past protests have been dismantled.

  • During court proceedings Thursday that could add 15 years to his prison sentence, Navalny accused Putin of launching the war to cover up the theft from Russian citizens.

  • The timing of the trial was not an accident, according to the executive director of Navalny's foundation.

  • If Russia absorbs Ukraine with minimal casualties and economic damage, it could bolster Putin. He said that many in the business and governing elite have grown concerned by Putin's maneuvers, but he has shown little interest in any opinion but his own.

The bottom line is that Putin is starting to get more isolated from modernity and thinks of himself as a historic figure.

  • He is making history, but the domestic repercussions could pull him back into the past.

The latest developments in the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

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  • The president of Switzerland said on Thursday that the country will tighten its measures against Russia, but they won't include an immediate freeze on Russians' Swiss accounts. The European Union has imposed sanctions on Switzerland, and the government will adjust its regulations to prevent that.

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  • Steve Harrigan, a correspondent for Fox News, warned of a much more dire type of conflict that could get very ugly. A lot.

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