Putin always had a plan to recover yukrane, but he didn't always plan to take it back by force. The objective has always been there, but i agree that the methods have beo more brutal. He's actually sort of very weird, sort of formal union state with balous - which hasas existed in various situations since ninetee ni seven e. I'm not willing to believe that everything that putin said was all just the sort of cage be blaff tat. Underneath, he was just always just dying to occupy krane.