Putin – a desperate attempt to leave a legacy

Putin has wrong-footed Western leaders hoping to build political capital by brokering a retreat of Russian forces from Ukraine.He has ordered troops into two rebel-held regions in eastern Ukraine, after recognising them as independent states. In doing so he appears to have ridden roughshod over his own advisers and ignored China’s reservations about destabilizing the region and interfering with Ukraine’s territorial integrity.  China opposes Nato expansion, but is wary of large-