Had to emit dryly ironic laughter upon hearing ministers talk of a leader with an attitide towards lying as casual as his attitude towards breaking international law.
Members of a party which recieves multi-millions from Kremlin cronies then votes against laundromat London coming under scrutiny.
And led by a bloke who regularly rubs shoulders with oligarchs.
But let's be clear, here - Boris Johnson's moral bankruptcies are merely those of a mischievous schoolboy compared to a monster like Putin.
A man evil by any measure of the term and proving how misplaced use of the word 'despot' against democratically elected politicians really is.
Then whilst there might be intellectual discussions to be had over the hypocrisy of former imperial powers such as ourselves lecturing him about his own ambitions of empire, it's Putin and Putin alone responsible for the current crisis.
Has he been emboldened by the thought of a Trump destabilised NATO? By the chaotic retreat from Kabul? By the West's increasing reliance on his fossil fuels? By Brexit weakening the EU (which rubles convinced some folk was the patriotic thing to do)? By a new German chancellor, Macron facing an election and an global laughing stock in Number Ten?
I'd certainly say so.
But Berlin has led the way in cancelling Nord Stream 2. That'll hurt, but it'll hurt Putin too. The Ukranians have also been as stoic in resisting Russian attempts to goad them, thereby legitimising an invasion, as they have in facing down overwhelming odds.
On the other hand the UK government ought to learn actions speak louder than words. Oh yeah, Bozo's no doubt relishing the opportunity to play Churchill again (not to mention the distraction from police investigations), yet as SKS alluded to what he announced today was the least possible he could've done.
Infact even backbench tories are dubbing then feeble:
https://www.msn.com/...ocid=uxbndlbing
https://bylinetimes....rvative-donors/
https://www.msn.com/...down/ar-AAUajeJ
https://www.theguard...KeyEvents=false