Putin Adores a Vacuum

Angela Merkel is on her way out.  Macron is fighting angry populists for survival.  The UK is leaving the EU, if it can.  The Italians are refusing to comply with EU budgetary rules.  Trump, of course, views the Europeans as unscrupulous and parasitic competitors, not allies, and it’s not as if Xi has any reason to help.

In short, the door is open for Putin to engage in plenty of new mischief until the vacuum has been filled, as it will ultimately be, in one way or another.  Don’t be surprised if he exploits the opportunity, probably starting with Ukraine.