When Vladimir Putin destabilized Europe’s peace by declaring war on a 44-million-strong democracy, he justified his actions by claiming that modern, Western-leaning Ukraine was the key to Russia’s “feeling safe, developed and survival” was a constant threat.
But, after more than a month of shelling, thousands of deaths in damaged cities, and millions displaced in Ukraine and beyond, questions remain: what did Vladimir Putin want, and what has he achieved so far?