Putin's Belief That He Could Take Kyiv Is an Idiotic Invasion Plan

Putin would have seemed to be on a roll and this role would have meant placing his forces with a newly compliant Lukashenko within what seemed like easy striking distance of Kyiv. And as you say, that makes a lot more sense in explaining what seemed from the outside like an idiotic invasion plan than, you know, doing this analysis of Putin as Mr. Burns doing Howard Hughes.