I agree with one of your choices Sir. It is the third. Sincere . Contrast the BuyDem clown orating vs That speech. To give more color on Putin’s past I have this info . I suspect your instincts will be honed knowing this background.

Source From Biernutz_71’s substack

Vladimir Putin was born in Leningrad Russia in 1952 and is the youngest of three boys. His oldest brother died as an infant and his other brother died of diphtheria during the German Siege of Leningrad in WW2. His father was severely wounded in 1942, his grandmother killed by German occupiers of the Tver region (more on that later), and both of his uncles never returned from the Eastern front. To say that Putin’s early life was impacted by WW2 and Nazi Germany would be a gross understatement…it was ravaged. I find this to be curious behavior for a boy so hurt by the Germans:

“At age 12, he began to practice sambo and judo.[31] Putin studied German at Saint Petersburg High School 281 and speaks German fluently.” – Wikipedia

Also, of note is that, unlike most of the other students in his class, he never joined the Young Pioneer Organization. This would be the Russian equivalent of the Hitler’s Youth Organization in Germany. Put yourself in his shoes: The Germans severely wounded your dad, kill your grandmother and uncles and yet you go and learn German and speak it fluently? I wonder what those dinner table conversations were like.

Putin went on to study law at the Leningrad State University from 1970 to 1975. It is curious that his thesis was on "The Most Favored Nation Trading Principle in International Law. Pardon me if I am the only one that finds that to be a subject more suited for some one like Donald Trump to write. This interest in global trade I believe to be a foreshadowing of behavior to come. By the way, during this time Putin was required (did not volunteer) to join the Communist Party.

“In 1999, Putin described communism as "a blind alley, far away from the mainstream of civilization". - Wikipedia

After college Putin would go on to serve the KGB in counterintelligence and a translator in East Berlin before the fall off the berlin wall. It is important to understand Putin’s upbringing because it serves to explain his unique perspective and subsequent maneuvers. Putin recognized the rise and the impending dangers of globalism long before any of us!

“Putin has promoted explicitly conservative policies in social, cultural, and political matters, both at home and abroad. Putin has attacked globalism and neo-liberalism and is identified by scholars with Russian conservatism” - Wikipedia

What is Russian Conservatism? I am glad you asked. The Izborsky club defines it this way:

· Russian nationalism,

· The restoration of Russia's historical greatness,

· Systematic opposition to liberal ideas and policies

This is the Russian version of MAGA folks! These principles are the EXACT reason that Putin (and Trump) are so hated by the Globalist. Jeffrey Kuhner of the World Tribune explained it best,

“America’s transnational elites despise Putin for one simple reason: He is not a globalist”

He goes on to state

Hence, Russia’s problem is not its authoritarian regime. Rather, it is because Putin is a major obstacle to the relentless march of globalism.

Putin is an ethno-nationalist, who champions Orthodox Christianity and a resurgent Great Russia. He is opposed to the European Union and NATO enlargement. He seeks to defend vital Russian interests — whether in Syria, Crimea or Ukraine. In short, he is implacably opposed to liberalism’s holy trinity of open borders, mass immigration and multiculturalism.

Putin’s real sin is that he will not bow to the gods of the New World Order.

This is why Putin has become public enemy number one.

Is it any wonder why Russia was the subject of a Trump collusion hoax? Why not kill two birds with one stone? They could have just a s easily concocted a Trump China collusion. Putin poses a direct threat both economically and logistically to the Globalist. His relentless pursuit of restoring Russia and his undying nationalism is rivaled only by Trump’s desire to make America great again. Which brings us to the Ukraine.

Remember when I mentioned Putin’s maternal Grandmother is from Tver? Well, that is in the Ukraine. It would make sense for Putin to try and restore that land of his grandmother to Mother Russia. However, there is more to it than that. There is a large number of Ukrainians that want to return to Russia. Why would that be? Because the Russian opposition is Neo Nazi; the 4th Reich, the head of the Hydra was removed and two others took its place…in Ukraine!

Done by other groups to make him look bad?...there are many, including the participation of the creatures in our own government...so goes for all wars and conflicts...the water gets muddy real quick.

War plans rarely, if ever, survive contact with the enemy.

"Just before 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, firefighters were allowed to enter the facility, according to the Eastern European news source Nexta.
Nexta also reported, “According to Andrey Tuz, spokesman of the press service of the nuclear power plant, there is no threat of radiation spread.”

Nexta reported that security video seems to indicate that the fire is in the administrative building, but the reactor building is nearby. "
https://www.poynter.org/reporting-edi...

IMHO, Putin and the Russians want no part of a new Chernobyl. The bomb in question did not hit anything vital to the plant or containment of radioactive material. Given that, I can think of two scenarios: 1) It was an accidental hit (whew, that was close!), 2) It was a deliberate "shot across the bow" indicating "stand down, we're coming aboard".